Vampire Knight: The Alternative Ending
by Mickee A. Renn
Summary: Spoiler Alerts! Begins right before the official ending of Chapter 89.
1. 90th Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

**A/N: This story begins right after Yuki erases Zero's memories. It assumes that everything from the point in which Zero wakes up in the infirmary and everything afterwards did NOT actually occur. For the diehard Yuki x Zero fans like me, I'm giving Zeki another chance.**

_ I…I don't know who I am anymore. _

I belong to Kaname.

_ Am the girl who stayed by this boy as he suffered through those four long years? Or, am I the young woman who is to become the wife of Kaname Kuran?_

_ Two separate enemies battle inside of me. One is in love with a beautiful, mad pureblood vampire. The other wonders what could have happened between her and this declining former human, former friend who is now staring blankly up at me. _

_ Kaname, when you erased my memories, you erased me as well. But then, when you went and sketched me back into being, you only covered up the old lines with the new. And so the time has come for me to correct your mistake and scratch the old lines completely out of existence. _

Zero could remember that he'd been on a mission to find Kaname Kuran. He remembered being at the masquerade and even remembered seeing Kaname for a moment, before he suddenly transformed into a dozen bats. And although he couldn't remember what had happened in those moments between entering the ball room and seeing Kaname—surely he'd been too determined to snap the trap shut before he'd missed he chance to care too much for the event itself—he could remember leaving the ball and coming to this place to change back into his own clothes so he could return the suit that he had borrowed. Now, he found himself lying on the ground, with a young female pureblood sitting on top of him.

_This pureblood vampire…where did she come from? She must have gotten the jump on me after she caught me in a day-dream... _

_ ...but what was I even dreaming about…? _

The spell which had paralyzed Zero quickly wore off in the following minutes. As the pureblood continued to stare blankly at him, seemingly unguarded, he rolled to pin her and then after ripping the Bloody Rose out of his pocket, he put it to her forehead.

_I think she paralyzed me too…but how? __How did she manage to get this close to me without my realizing it?_

"Who are you?" Zero demanded. Yuki continued to stare at him. Her face was all bunched up, as though she was about to cry. Because it was clear to Zero that he wasn't about to get an answer, he sighed and stood up, placing the Bloody Rose back in his pocket.

"You must be a friend of the pureblood who lives in this house," Zero considered. "And I'm assuming you jumped me because you found a stranger wandering about in your friend's home seemingly uninvited."

"Ya-yes," Yuki managed to choke. She did not say anything else, for she felt she would burst into tears if she even tried.

"Right, well, I _was_ invited here so there's no reason for you to be hostile towards me. Besides, I'm leaving soon anyways." Zero commented. He made his way over to the door that would led him back to the main part of the house and the exit. He gripped the handle, but before opening the door, he looked back over his shoulder and said, "I left the suit on the bathroom counter. Would you mind passing that message onto your friend?"

"Oh-okay," Yuki uttered so softly that Zero couldn't even hear her. He stepped out of the room.

Yuki closed her eyes and let the tears stream down her face. She stayed like that for only a few minutes before Isaya came into the room. Upon hearing the dear opening, Yuki promptly shot up and rose back her feet.

"Is everything alright?" Isaya wondered. "The maid said she just saw Zero leaving without you."

"Yes, everything's just fine," Yuki sniffed. She jerked her head to the side and wiped her nose and cheeks with the edge of her sleeve.

"You've been crying," Isaya noted. "I take it you and you hunter friend weren't able to ultimately settle your differences after all."

"I guess not," Yuki grunted and closed her eyes for a moment. After taking that moment to regain her composure, she looked back to Isaya and with a bow said, "I really appreciate your hospitality and cooperation this evening. Unfortunately we were unable to achieve our goal in luring Kaname to this fun-filled evening at a masquerade, but I'm still sure we will be able to catch up with him sooner or later."

"If makes you feel better, I actually saw Kaname this evening. Unfortunately I was unable to detain him as well, but he told me something that might be useful to you. It seems he plans to throw his heart into the furnace so that the vampire hunter weapons can be restored." Isaya explained. "In which case, he might be headed to where the association remains now lie. However, I can't say that I'm really sure, considering he seemed torn between this decision and another."

"What decision was that?" Yuki questioned.

"It seems he wanted to give his life for another purpose. And that purpose is to turn you back into a human." Isaya stated.

"Well, if you should see him again, tell him it would be wiser for him to offer his life to the furnace because offering his life form me would be a waste of time." Yuki said bluntly.

_I will turn him into a human…just as soon as this whole mess is dealt with and settled. _

"I will be most happy to pass along your message should I receive the chance," Isaya replied, respectfully not pushing for too many details.

"And I'll be most happy to get out of your hair now," Yuki replied.

"No, no, please stay the night. You must be exhausted. I'll have the maid make up one of the guests rooms and you can catch the first train that rolls through tomorrow morning." Isaya offered.

"Thank you, but I'd like to get back to the association as soon as possible. The headmaster will be expecting a report. Not mention, Kaname may be on his way there as we speak." Yuki replied.

"As you wish. Good luck, Lady Kuran." Isaya replied. He showed her to the door then and sent her in his car back to the train station. She paid for a ticket and sat on a bench on the platform for about fifteen minutes before Zero showed up as well. She turned her head down and gazed out of the corner of her eye as Zero made his way toward the benches. She kept her eyes on him as he wordlessly walked passed her and sat down on another bench.

Yuki folded her hands in her lap and stared down at her feet to keep herself from staring at Zero. When the train finally rolled through 10 minutes later, she purposefully entered a different car than Zero entered.

_Yuki Cross is gone. I devoured her being the night that I awoke. And now I have devoured her memory too. Theirs is nothing left of her. She has no future. She no longer even has a past._

_ And I, Yuki Kuran, have one final mission before I join her in hell. _

* * *

Yuki arrived at the next station early the next morning. The sun wasn't even out yet, much to her relief as it'd make her walk home far more bearable. As she strolled out of the train car, she turned to see Zero coming off as well. He met her gaze in the dim street light and started walking her way. She grew tense. She couldn't even think to move just then. All she could was pray that he'd walk right on by as he'd done the previous night at the previous train station.

When he stopped only a few feet in front of her, she promptly jerked her feet to run. She broke in a dead run then promptly stopped after a few feet. She realized she would only draw more attention by running. And so, she stood frozen in place once again.

"Hey, don't I know you from somewhere?" Zero called out at the perfect moment, just as Yuki decided to stop running. It made it seem as though she stopped because he'd called out to her. The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach grew stronger as his words banged against her ear drums.

_No…he can't feel so strongly that…that the memory erasing didn't hold! _

Grinning and blushing, she turned her torso around and said, "Um…I don't know. I don't think so."

"Sure I do," Zero insisted and he stepped up to her. Yuki swallowed hard as he examined her face more closely. She tried to shake her head in denial, but Zero continued to push the matter. "Yes! You are the pureblood from last night that attacked me because you thought I was an intruder."

Yuki face went wry for a moment. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or devastated that he didn't really know who she was.

She choked out, "That…that was you?"

"Yeah, that was me," Zero admitted. "And I take it you came all the way out here because you have business with the association."

"Why…would you assume that?" Yuki wondered.

"Because the association president fancies himself a friend of purebloods…and after all the recent events, I'm also assuming he's trying to gather up all the support from the vampire society that he can get," Zero said, then muttered, "although he conveniently bothered not mention it to me."

"Oh, yes, that's right," Yuki said to confirm his suspicions. "You know the association president then?"

"Yes, unfortunately," Zero said then walked right on past Yuki without even mustering the simplest of farewells. He did, however, stop long enough to say, "Hey, there's something I've been wondering about you all night."

"There…there is?" Yuki's face fell as she asked the question, although Zero didn't see her as he hadn't even bothered to look back in her direction.

"Yes," Zero's voice grew serious before he paused for a few moments. Finally, he asked, "Do you have powers which can paralyze?"

"Wha-what?" Yuki asked.

Zero spun around fast then and demanded, "Do you have the power to paralyze people?"

"I…" Yuki thought about her words carefully before responding. If she told him that it was spell rather than an innate pureblood power she possessed, it might have triggered something in his memory. And so, she opted to say, "No, I can't do anything like that."

"Hmm," Zero considered, "I must have just been dazed then…"

He continued walking, he shoes clanking softly against the wood of the train platform. Yuki stood in her place, thinking in such a situation it would be natural for someone like her, a "newcomer", to ask a local to show her to the association. However, it was too much a risk for her to be around him.

_Whatever I do, I can't trigger him to remember. If I do, then Zero will only suffer…all because of me. _

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" One of the train station workers approached Yuki. "Can I give you some directions?"

"No, I'm…just waiting for my ride…" Yuki replied. Before the worker could even respond, Yuki suddenly burst, "My ride!"

_That's right! The headmaster is supposed to pick us up. How I am supposed to explain this? _

* * *

A car pulled up to the front of the station and Zero got in. The Headmaster jerked out his head to look out the rearview window. He asked, "Zero, where's Yuki?"

Zero looked at the Headmaster like he was crazy, but then he responded, "You mean that pureblood? Don't tell me you intended to pick her up as well today?"

"Zero, you're so cruel," the Headmaster sighed. "I take it something happened again?"

Zero just grunted, "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Fine, fine, don't tell me," the Headmaster replied. "In any case, I'm going to go look for her. I'll be back in a few minutes."

The Headmaster got out of the car and walked up to the train station booth. After explaining the situation the worker inside, he was granted permission to go inside the gate and look for her.

Zero meanwhile reached into his pocket and shoved several blood tablets down his throat.

_This thirst…is killing me… _


	2. 91st Night: The White Canvas

Disclaimer: I don't Vampire Knight or any characters

"Yuki! Yuki!"

"Ha-Headmaster…"

The Headmaster made his way over to Yuki. The expression on her face confirmed his suspicions that something had indeed happened between her and Zero.

"Alright, so are you going to tell me or not?" The Headmaster inquired without so much as a greeting. "I couldn't get Zero to say even a peep!"

Yuki looked away from her adopted father then and obdurately replied, "That's because he doesn't know what happened."

"So what's he upset about then? That you won't tell what happened?" The Headmaster questioned.

"No, that's not it," Yuki said.

"Then what's going on here? Why is Zero acting so strangely?" The Headmaster asked.

"Because," Yuki choked, "I erased his memories of my entire existence."

"What? Why? Why would you do something like that, Yuki?" The Headmaster demanded. "You and Zero are supposed to be allies! You're supposed to be hunting down Kaname together! How are you going to be able to do that if he doesn't even know who you are?"

"Well, in that case, you should just take him off the mission. I am perfectly capable of tracking down Kaname without Zero's help!" Yuki insisted.

"No, I won't let you do that, Yuki," The Headmaster said. "I am not about to let Kaname have you. Not again! And without Zero serving as the barrier between you two, you'll undoubtedly be pulled back into Kaname's twisted world all over again!"

It was one of the few times Kaien Cross had ever lost his temper with his friends' dear child—the little girl he had raised as his own, but who had never fully accepted him.

"Headmaster," Yuki addressed firmly. "I belong to Kaname. I was born to be his. I will not deny him, even if he has chosen to deny me."

"Yuki, I, too, believed in Kaname whole heartedly. However, there has been a battle raging inside of him for 10,000 years. It was battle I didn't even know about." The Headmaster claimed. "He struggled against it for so long. But now I'm afraid that he has gone and burst. He's on an insane rampage now and nobody really knows why!"

"That's why I want to find him, Headmaster. I want to understand why." Yuki said. "I mean, I know it has something to do with what that woman he loved in another life wanted, but that doesn't explain why he's murdering innocent vampires like Aidou-san's father!"

The Headmaster stayed quiet for a moment as he absorbed all that Yuki was saying. Then, he said, "Zero is waiting, Yuki. We can finish this discussion later."

"Headmaster, you can't—

"Don't worry, Yuki. I will play along and I will have everyone play along…for now."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Yuki whispered.

"Come on now, let's head to the car." The Headmaster said and placed a hand on Yuki's shoulder as they walked out of the train station together. When they arrived at the car, Zero was gone.

"Oh my, he must have gotten impatient and started walking back to the academy." The Headmaster sighed.

"Either that or he was angry about sharing a car with a strange pureblood." Yuki deduced.

"Yes, that could be too. Well, in any case, go ahead and get in. He couldn't have gone too far." The Headmaster said.

Yuki walked to the passenger's door where Zero had been sitting. As she opened the door, she noticed a few stray blood tablets strewn across the seat and floor.

"Oh dear, what a mess he's left," The Headmaster murmured as he leaned across the driver's seat to collect the blood tablets.

"He's…he's still taking them?" Yuki gasped.

"Well, yes, they're the only things keeping him sane." The Headmaster murmured. Then, his face saddened. "So that's it. You thought if Zero stopped yearning for your blood, his suffering would end."

"Was I wrong?" Tears formed in Yuki's eyes as the feeling in her stomach rose to her heart.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this but...he is going to notice the blank canvas where you used to be, Yuki. And unfortunetly, that in itself could drive him to the brink of insanity." The Headmaster stated.

"What…What can I do?" Yuki cried. "If…if I let him drink my blood then…"

"Yes, you will be able to show him those memories from your point of view. But seeing a memory isn't the same as remembering something." The Headmaster stated.

"So there's nothing I can do? I've just gone and caused him more pain and confusion?" Yuki wailed. Her emotions were so overpowering that they caused her to fall to her knees. The Headmaster went around the car and helped her into the passenger's seat.

"Alright, then, we'd better get moving or we'll lose him," The Headmaster stated.

"Why am I so stupid?" Yuki whimpered.

"You're not stupid, Yuki. You did what you thought was right." The Headmaster said, leaning over to hug his daughter. "Now all you can do is be there for him. Be his friend…In fact, think of it as a new beginning. It'll be a second chance. It'll be a chance for him to become more accepting in getting to know who you are now…who you've grown into…"

"Zero will never accept me, Headmaster…" Yuki insisted.

"He will once you prove to him that all purebloods are not evil." The Headmaster said.

_But I am evil…_

The Headmaster moved away from Yuki and walked over to the driver's side to get in the car. The engine starting and the sound of wheels turning were the only things heard all the way to the academy.

* * *

"We've moved the Association headquarters secretly into the main office. Classes are running normally and we are only to conduct business here at night. We hope to rent out another building in town in the next few weeks to temporarily run out of until we rebuild the Headquarters." The Headmaster was explaining this Yuki as they walked across the campus to his office.

"Headmaster," Yuki finally spoke. "Kaname hasn't shown up at the Association since it was destroyed by the Parent Furnace, has he?"

"No. And somehow I imagine he will be staying as far away from it as possible from now on." The Headmaster said. "I guess I'm not even sure why he showed up the last time…Perhaps he sensed that the Parent Furnace was upset."

"Isaya-san told me that Kaname plans to use his heart to refuel the furnace," Yuki stated.

"Hmm, well, we can't have that, now can we? We want to come to his senses, not go 'poof." The Headmaster laughed to lighten the mood. Of course, it had no effect. He coughed and changed the subject, "Anyways, I'm sorry we didn't find Zero. He probably went back to his apartment to get some rest. He does have class in a few hours after all."

"Hmp! Like something as trivial as class would ever get him to take of himself!" Yuki scoffed. "He's probably just avoiding me!"

"Well, in that case, I'll be officially assigning him to assist Kaname Kuran's fiancée in tracking Kaname down." The Headmaster said. "He won't be able to hide from you forever!"

"I still think he'd be better off that way," Yuki claimed.

* * *

"Good morning, Zero-kun! I see you're off to class!" The Headmaster sang as he caught Zero on his way later that same morning. Yuki was standing next to the Headmaster.

What do you want, Headmaster?" Zero grumbled.

"Zero, you're so cruel. Just assuming that I want something!" The Headmaster pouted.

"Then I'll be go—

"But since you brought it up…you've met Yuki here, right?" The Headmaster pushed on Yuki's back to get her to move closer to Zero. She resisted.

"Yeah, we actually ran into each other at Isaya-san's residence." Zero stated.

"Perfect! Since you're acquainted, I can tell you all about your new mission now!" The Headmaster chimed.

"New…mission?"

"Yes, Yuki here will be assisting you in your search for Kaname!" The Headmaster declared.

"I don't need any help…especially not from a Pureblood…" Zero muttered and tried to walk away, but the Headmaster stepped in front of him.

"Ah, but, Zero, she's not just any pureblood. She's Kaname's fiancée. As such, with her help, you'll surely have a far easier time tracking him!" The Headmaster exclaimed.

"Oh, so this is Kaname's fiancée. Glad to know you've finally crawled out your lair long enough to go deal with that troublemaker yourself." Zero said.

"What do you mean crawl out of my lair?" Yuki demanded, the old instincts to defend herself against Zero's taunting uncontrollably bubbling to the surface.

"Well, you've remain such a mystery that I just assumed you sat around all day doing nothing." Zero explained. "Although, I suppose you do come out for exclusive events such as the ball that Ouri was murdered at."

"You know I was that ball?" Yuki questioned.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I never actually saw you. I was too busy making sure a human girl that was there visiting a vampire friend of hers didn't get attacked to notice much else. I certainly heard Kaname Kuran's fiancée was there, though." Zero replied.

Yuki was dumbstruck. Zero remembered Yori's "friend" being at that ball and he remembered Kaname's fiancée being there, but clearly he was not connecting the dots.

_How does he remember this "friend" and not me? _Yuki wondered, but she dared not ask the question aloud. She feared it would only make him realize the presence of the white canvas.

"Can I go now, Headmaster?" Zero questioned. "I'm going to be late."

"Oh, sure, go on, Zero-kun. Have a wonderful day at school!" The Headmaster called as Zero was walking away.

"Headmaster," Yuki spoke. "If Zero realizes Kaname has a fiancée and Yori has a vampire friend, doesn't he realize that you have daughter he lived with for fours but yet knows nothing about?"

"Yes, Yuki, it's only natural that he remembers his acquaintances' relationships even if he doesn't directly remember you. That's the white canvas, Yuki." The Headmaster explained. "His mind does seem to be compensating for Yori and Kaname's relationships, though, so it makes me wonder if it's not compensating for mine as well."

"So, there is no white canvas after all?" Yuki cried in relief.

"I don't know, Yuki. I wouldn't be so sure. I just don't know if his mind will be capable of compensating for everything." The Headmaster sighed.

_I will be your ally then, Zero. I will gain your trust and get you move close enough to me to drink my blood. But when you do get close to me, you won't need it anymore, because by then you'll be free and your suffering will truly be over._

_ I just need enough time to get to Kaname beforehand. I can't leave behind any unfinished business. _

* * *

"So you've gone and erased Zero's memories?" Yaguri lit a cigarette and inhaled the tobacco. The Headmaster had called him and Kaito into a meeting to discuss the situation after he'd spoken with Zero and had introduced him to Yuki.

"And we're just supposed to play along that you're the concerned fiancée searching for her beloved?" Kaito questioned.

"Yes, your cooperation would be greatly appreciated," Yuki replied.

"It's too complicated," Yaguri insisted. "Someone's going to blow it sooner or later. And just how do you think Kiryuu's going to react then?"

"I don't know," Yuki admitted.

Yaguri scoffed and said, "You really are a stupid child, aren't you?"

"Hey now," The Headmaster sputtered, "don't you go talking to my precious child that way!"

"You do realize you're just as big as an idiot as she is for going along with this, right, Cross?" Yaguri stated.

"Yeah, what's even the point?" Kaito questioned. "I say we just tell him what a bad girl she was and just get it over with."

"I'm afraid that would be too overwhelming for Zero. It's best for him to spend time with Yuki so he can figure it all out on his own. He may be a little bitter about it for a while afterwards, but I say that's better than everything coming out at once and making absolutely no sense." The Headmaster argued.

"I don't know if I agree with you that that's going to be a whole lot better for him in the end," Kaito said, "but I guess I can see there's no simple way to clean up this mess that daughter of yours has made."

"So, you'll go along with it?" The Headmaster wondered.

Kaito sighed and uttered, "Fine."

"Whatever," was all Yaguri could muster. "I'll inform the other hunters immediately."

"What about the students, though?" Kaito demanded. " It's not like we can force them into a vow of silence considering they don't even realize vampires exist, let alone that the prodigal daughter is one."

The Headmaster contemplated the situation for a moment and said, "I'll handle it."

He walked out of the room.


	3. 92nd Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"So then in 1862 he—ah, Headmaster Cross, to what do we owe the honor?" The history teacher paused in the middle of her lecture when the Headmaster entered the room.

"Yes, sorry, to interrupt, I just need Zero to come with me." The Headmaster stated.

"Ah, yes, I believe he's the one snoring in the back row," The teacher sighed.

One of the other students shook Zero's shoulder, causing him to stir. The student pointed to the Headmaster then and Zero the left the room with him.

"What is it now?" Zero grumbled.

"Zero, I've become increasingly concerned that going to school and being a vampire hunter has just been too much for you." The Headmaster began.

"I'm not quitting my job at the association!" Zero insisted.

"Actually, that wasn't what I was going to suggest." The Headmaster said.

"Then what is it?"

"I want you to take some time off school—temporarily—so that you can get some rest. Also, this way you'll be able to freely escort Kaname's fiancée in her endeavors." The Headmaster said.

"I never actually agreed to babysit that woman, you know!" Zero snapped.

"Well, you're going to. That's a direct order. Otherwise, you will quit the Association." The Headmaster pulled the trump card out of his sleeve.

"I'm 18 now, Headmaster. You can't control my decisions anymore!" Zero yelled.

"Perhaps not, but I can fire you not fulfilling your assigned duties." The Headmaster yelled back.

"Then I'll just go after Kaname on my own free will—without that girl." Zero said.

_Wait…why would I take down Kaname? He's doing exactly what I want him to do…_

"What is it, Zero?" The Headmaster asked as Zero's face became wry and confused.

"When did I even decide to go chasing after Kaname?" Zero questioned. "I never intended to and now I can't remember why!"

"You…you made a deal with Sara, as I recall, Zero. You never actually told me what that deal was, but I know it involved you killing Kaname." The Headmaster explained.

"Yes, but Sara's dead now. I continued to chase Kaname even after her death!" Zero exclaimed.

"It sounds like you really do need to get some sleep, Zero. Go home. I'll arrange the paper work for your temporary dismissal." The Headmaster said and then walked away.

_-You know, if you were to kill Kaname Kuran, then that girl would be all yours._

_ -I don't want her._

_ -Ah…but I can change her back into the girl you knew. What do think of that? _

_ -Ha-how could you possibly be able to…? _

_ -Once I'm queen, I'll pull some strings. You have to make me queen, though. And the only way to do that…_

_ -Is to kill Kaname Kuran. _

_ -And besides, it will be the perfect revenge for both of us, considering he killed the ones that we held so dear…_

"Who…who was that girl?" Zero whispered. He was shaking. "What the hell was Sara talking about?"

* * *

"Mr. Hunter, I want to thank your accompanying me in my search for my fiancé." Yuki thanked Zero as a business meeting commenced between the two and the Headmaster in the main association office.

"Don't thank me. It's not like I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart. It's just work." Zero grunted.

_Kill Kaname Kuran and that girl will be all yours…_

Zero shook the thought of his mind. He had had absolutely no connection to Yuki Kuran up until a few days passed.

"Oh, I see," Yuki replied.

_Typical Zero, _she thought.

"Headmaster," Zero turned to Kaien. "Do we actually have any leads right now or are we just going on a wild goose chase?" Zero questioned.

"Well, our most current lead was given to us by Miss Kuran. Apparently, he plans to refuel the Parent Furnace with his own heart, thus it's possible he'll be coming here." The Headmaster explained.

"For the love of…Headmaster, if he's coming here then why do we have to go track him down?" Zero demanded.

"He may be planning to murder more innocent pureblood during that time. He must be found and he be captured before that happens." The Headmaster insisted.

"And this girl—er, Miss Kuran—is our secret weapon in finding him?" Zero questioned.

"Exactly," the Headmaster confirmed.

"Alright, then, Miss Kuran, where do we start?" Zero asked.

"I, um…" Yuki murmured and blushed.

"Headmaster, this is ridiculous!" Zero exclaimed.

"Well, it's not as though you're going anywhere today. I'm sure we'll have a promising lead soon enough. A message has been sent to the entire Hunter's Union to keep a watchful eye out for Kaname Kuran. It's top priority." The Headmaster explained.

"And in the meantime…?" Zero questioned.

"You'll be showing Miss Kuran around town." The Headmaster stated.

"What?" Zero and Yuki both sputtered.

"Come now, we can't have our honored guest getting bored! And since Miss Kuran isn't from here, she should be out seeing the sights, right?" The Headmaster said.

"There's a not a whole lot to see," Zero grunted.

"Sure there is!" The Headmaster exclaimed. "Now why are you still standing there? Go! Go! Have lunch. It's on me!"

The Headmaster handed Zero some money and then nudged Yuki and Zero out the door. "Just have her back by 10:00, okay? Leave all the boring business stuff to me! Bye now!"

The Headmaster closed the door behind him. Zero was clearly pissed and Yuki clearly as nervous as a rabbit. Zero spoke, suggesting quite adamantly, "Look, if you just want to go back and hang out at the Headmaster's place instead, that's fine."

"Well, it's fine if you really don't want to go out to lunch," Yuki choked. She still wasn't quite ready to be alone with Zero just yet.

"I hear plans being broken!" The Headmaster's voice chimed through the door. Zero grunted.

"Well, that guy won't us alone until we do, so we might as well," he sighed.

"That guy is so happy to hear you say that!" The Headmaster cheered. Zero and Yuki both looked awkwardly at the door. Then suddenly their gazes met. They blushed, but both grinned and chuckled a bit.

"Well, the city may a pretty boring place to actually tour, but there are a few good restaurants around…shall we head out

"Sure," Yuki nodded. They headed to the campus main gate.

* * *

"Ah, my best customer! Long time no see. I was worried you weren't coming back!" The chef exclaimed the moment Zero walked through the door. When the chef noticed Yuki, he said, "Ah, will I be giving away two free eggs today?"

"That's really not necessary," Zero insisted. "Why don't you just start up a couple of plates of steamed rice and vegetables?"

"Coming right up!" The chef replied and turned to his stove to start cooking.

"What did he mean by free eggs?" Yuki wondered.

"He always gives me a free egg to…well, cheer me up. The first I came in here I was really upset something and that's when the tradition started."

"Oh, I see," Yuki replied.

Zero laughed under his breath a little because he couldn't actually remember what he had been upset about that day. He knew someone had discovered his blood tablet box, but he wasn't sure who anymore.

"You sure were in a hurry that day!" The chef commented. "Go everything all cooked up for the guy and he just up and runs out of here. Where'd you go anyways?"

"That…I think I had work related emergency to attend to, but…I guess I'm not really sure how I even found out about it." Zero murmured.

He'd gone out to the clock tower and seen Ichiru in the Level E boy's face. He had to exterminate another Level E vampire that day—a woman. Right after, he had a Level E attack himself and so Kaname had wound up taking out the little boy.

He remembered all that, but he just couldn't why he'd gone to the clock tower in the first place that day.

"Ah, it doesn't matter, though," he decided. "That was a while back anyways."

"Ah here we go…two vegetable plates for the happy couple. Enjoy!" The chef said as he set the plates down on the counter.

"Uh, we're not a…" Zero started, but the chef had already moved onto another customer. He brushed it off and took his seat alongside Yuki.

"I hope you like," Zero said. "I guess I should have asked you like this sort of thing before I ordered it for you."

"No…its relay gud…," Yuki replied with a mouthful of food. Zero just smiled. A moment later, though, he frowned. There was no way he was ever going to get close to a pureblood vampire. He started to gobble down his food and managed to finish in it in about 10 minutes. He threw the Headmaster's money down on the counter before he even finished swallowing his last few bites. Yuki watched him all the way and wasn't the least surprised when he announced, "I'm really sorry, but there's something I just remembered I need to do today."

"So…you'll come back for me in a little while…?" Yuki grasped at straws. She knew it wouldn't bother him in the least to abandon her there.

"I, well…do you think you can find your own way back? This thing is really important. I…I can't actually believe I forgot about it, it's so important." Despite his apologetic words, Zero's tone wasn't the least bit apologetic. It was mostly rushed and full of discomfort. It was clear that he wasn't going to continue with that charade for a moment longer.

"Yeah…I guess I'd be able to manage." Yuki replied.

"Good. If not, I guess you can just ask someone for direction or something. Bye." He stomped out of the restaurant then.

"Who, what was that about?" The chef wondered. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…he just had to go back to work, I guess." Yuki sighed and lied on Zero's behalf, knowing full well that he just didn't want to be around her. As soon as they actually started to have a nice time, he'd had gotten scared and ran way. Like always.

"Always working that one," the chef shook his head. "Nice guy, though. You should give him another chance."

"You think?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I think I will, then," Yuki talked as though she even had a real choice in the matter. "Um, could this to go instead?"

"Sure," the chef replied and then scrapped her food in a rectangular paper box. "Now don't tell me he you to foot the bill!"

"Oh, no," Yuki replied and pushed the money across the counter.

"Ah, see, I told you he a nice guy," The chef said as he collected the money He went over to the registrar to get some chance and told Yuki to have a wonderful day as he handed it to her.

Yuki hid her tears until she was out the door.

* * *

"Oh, Yuki…you weren't even gone half an hour," The Headmaster sighed as Yuki walked into the living room. "Did Zero ditch you?"

"Yeah," Yuki sighed. She had forced herself to stop crying only moments before. The Headmaster could tell.

"Come sit," The Headmaster instructed and she sat down beside him on the couch. He hugged her for a moment and whispered, "He'll come around. He did the last time, didn't he?"

_Don't touch me with those hands that touched him!_

_ It's none of your business._

_ Leave me alone…_

_ You'd rather Kaname Kuran drink your blood instead._

_ I will kill you. _

"Yeah, but sometimes I wondered if he hated me even back then."

"But, he didn't, Yuki."

_How could I ever hate you? _

_ I was able to live on because you were beside me._

_ No! Don't take her away from me!_

"Yeah, I know," Yuki whispered.

"No, go on and enjoy your lunch!" The Headmaster instructed.

"Okay, I will," Yuki said her way over into the dining room.

"Oh, and, Yuki, when you get the chance, you should say hello to Yori-chan and the Night Class as well. Why don't you go ahead and let them know what's going on?" The Headmaster called.

"Okay, yeah…I'll do that," Yuki called back. Talking to Yori would be a wonderful thing.


	4. 93rd Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"So, you really went and erased Zero's memories?" Yori questioned. Yuki had gone to the same dorm room that had once shared to see her.

"Yeah…sorry I didn't tell you about it before. I've been pretty much crying the last couple of days." Yuki explained.

"It's fine. I'm not upset about that at all. But…you do know that you can always come and cry on my shoulder, right?" Yori asked.

"Yeah, I know," Yuki smiled.

"So what happens between the two of you now? Are you just starting over from square one?" Yori wondered.

"More like square negative infinity," Yuki sighed.

"Wow! Listen to you, the math genius!" York laughed. Yuki faked punched as she laughed out loud as well.

They hugged each other and then after the pulled away, Yori spoke, "You know, I really don't get Zero. He says that the person he knew is dead, but I say you're exactly the same as you always were."

"I'm not so sure about that," Yuki replied, her hands still on Yori's shoulders and Yori's on hers.

"Well, I am!" York insisted. "I mean, sure, you've up grown up in a lot of ways, but yeah, you're still the same old Yuki to me."

"Thanks, Yori, I needed that," Yuki said as she leaned in once again to hold her dear friend close.

* * *

"Thanks for keeping the Night Class under control why I was gone, everyone," Yuki said as she sat down on the couch in Moon Dorm's main longue. After spending a few days gazing her out her bedroom window, she had been able to assess that all was well with the academy, despite Kaname's recent invasion, and that made her feel very relieved.

"It's like we have anything better to do." Akatski muttered.

"It's kind of a relief to be back, though," Ruka put in. "Although, it feels so empty with him not being here…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Yuki sighed. "So, Ichijo-senpie, how are you feeling?"

"Confused, relieved…I was with Sara for so long and was so deeply under her spell that I kind forgot what it was like to have a mind of my own. I am starting to feel somewhat normal again, though."

"That's great," Yuki smiled. "And what of the girls Sara turned into vampires?" Yuki wondered.

"We're keeping them occupied," Rima shrugged. "They seem perfectly content to fawn over whatever female aristocrat walks through their path, so we just let the ones who want them have them."

"I…see," Yuki murmured. She felt terrible that they had lost their lives in something humans should never have even had to dream about. So, she suggested, "Shouldn't we be helping them to regain their own identities instead of just continuing to brain wash them?"

"Who said anything about brainwashing?" Rima scoffed. "I just said we're keeping them occupied, not keeping them as slaves!"

"Right…" Yuki blushed, although she didn't really see how she was the one in the wrong or why she was getting snapped in at. She opted to drop the situation, however, and continue checking back in with everyone. As she was particularly concerned about Aidou, being closer to him than any of the others, she felt she needed to address him personally. She turned her glance towards him and asked, "So, how have you been doing?"

Aidou just looked away.

"He's pretty bummed that Kaname abandoned him," Ruka stated. "I mean, I know he abandoned you, me, Akatski, and even Serine, but…you know how hard Hanabusa takes anything that has to do with Lord Kaname."

Yuki watched as Aidou got up and stormed up the stairs. Once he was out of earshot, she replied, "Yes, I know exactly how Aidou feels about Kaname."

"Speaking of Serine, I heard she finally came out her coma," Shiki spoke.

"Yeah, and I hear that ethics teacher was pretty upset about it. He's been at her bedside every day…can you believe it?" Akatski chuckled.

"Ah, yes…she's actually pretty shaken up herself right now." Yuki said.

"Serine, shook up? Wow…" Takuma whistled.

"We've been trying to see if she knows where Kaname is, but she's not talking. She's too stubborn to even ask for a glass of water." Yuki explained.

"Of course she's not going to talk," Akatski muttered. "She's just waiting for the Hunter's Association to let her go already. And I can guarantee that the first thing she's going to do is go running right back to Kaname."

"In which case," Rima put in, "You should just let her go already and try to follow her. I'd say that's your best bet."

"Hey, that's a great idea," Yuki realized. "I can't believe we didn't think of it!"

"Of course you didn't think of it. You're working with a bunch humans with low IQ's after all," Ruka stated.

"And you drag them down even more," Shiki said dryly. Yuki blushed, but did not bother to protest.

"Anyways...I have to get back the Headmaster's now. He's expecting me and Zero for dinner," Yuki promptly changed the subject and stood up. "Thanks for the advice, Rima. I'll pass it on to the Headmaster. Oh…and tell Aidou I hope he feels better."

"Will do," Takuma replied. "Bye, bye now, Lady Yuki."

"Bye, everyone," Yukie said made her way out the door and back to the Headmaster's house.

* * *

"Yuki, I'm so glad you're back!" The Headmaster exclaimed as she walked in the kitchen only to find him still hard at work cooking—just as she had left him before she'd gone off to chat with Yori. "I've got noodles boiling, vegetables steaming, and beef roasting in the oven. Doesn't it all smell delicious?"

"Yes, it does," Yuki agreed genuinely, if the Headmaster's enthusiasm was a little bit over the top.

"But, oh my, look at the time! Zero's already fifteen minutes late!" The Headmaster gasped as he gawked at the clock that hung over the stove. "And he told me he'd be here on time. He promised! And now he's gone and broken that promise! I just don't know how I'll ever be able to trust him again."

"I don't think you have to worry. It's me he doesn't want to be around. I don't think this has anything to with him breaking a promise to you," Yuki said. "You shouldn't have told him that I'd be here."

"Well, I didn't really have to, Yuki. He knows you're staying with me after all," The Headmaster commented. "He better show up, though. Oh I may have to fire him after all! I told him he was to help you and when the last time he even bothered to speak to you?"

"3 days ago…back at the restaurant," Yuki replied. "You shouldn't fire him, though, Headmaster. Zero deserves this job. And all he's every really wanted is to be a part of the Hunter's Association."

"Actually, I'm worried about him for reasons other than his disobedience. I don't like that fact that he's drinking his targets' blood. It just shows how desperate he really is and how sick he's getting." The Headmaster shook his head.

"You…you know he's been drinking his targets' blood?" Yuki questioned.

"Yes…he reeks of that tainted poison, unfortunately," The Headmaster sighed. "And I'm afraid it's only gotten worse these past few nights."

"It's because he's seeking a taste he's desperately longing for, but somehow can't seem to remember exactly what that is, isn't it?" Yuki asked.

"Yes, Yuki, I'm afraid so," The Headmaster nodded. "And if you don't give him some of your blood soon, then this may truly be the end for Zero."

_Zero, please…just hang on. Just for a little while longer. I promise, just as soon as Artemis is through Kaname's heart, this nightmare will all be over. _

"Headmaster, don't you think we should take all the photos of me off the wall before Zero gets here?" Yuki suggested.

"I…I suppose that would be the only logical thing to do, assuming he's actually coming," The Headmaster considered. "Go on then and collect them all, just in case, then."

Yuki wandered out the kitchen and down the hall, pulling frames down one by one. Zero looked so sad in each and every one, while Yuki stood beaming next to him. That fake smile appeared in every one, trying to cheer Zero up instead of break down crying on his behalf. Memories of running around outside and eating ice cream together on hot summer afternoons were only sad ones, as Zero was almost always in a sour mood. And yet somehow she had managed to enter the dark grounds of his heart. Somehow he had fallen in love with her without her realizing. He would have died trying to hide it, for what life could a Level E vampire ever hope to have?

_You'll have that life, Zero. You'll find someone who will deserve you more than me and you won't have to worry about never having the chance at a normal life again. _

Yuki began to cry again as she clutched the pictures to her chest. Yuki Cross had been such a naïve and simple being and she had lived in a simple and naïve little world. Even though she'd known Cross Academy's deepest secret, she'd known nothing of how the existence of vampires was truly affecting the world. Suddenly, though, she had found herself standing on the front lines of war she hadn't even realized was going on. And she'd been simply too incapable to stay standing.

_What would have happened if I had left the past alone? Why, after ten years, did it suddenly meant so much that it drove me to the brink of insanity? What triggered me to finally burst? Why had there been so much blood?_

"Hey, what are you doing?" Zero's voice demanded from behind her. "You can't just wander around someone else's home ripping pictures off the walls!"

"I…uh," Yuki choked as she desperately pulled the last two frames that hung in the hallway. She panicked as considered the photos Zero had obliviously walked by in the living room as he entered the house unannounced. She wondered how she still possibly get to them all.

"Well?" Zero demanded. "Why are taking down all the Headmaster's pictures?"

"Oh, Zero-kun," The Headmaster scolded, peeking his head out from the kitchen. "Yuki simply wanted to repay my hospitality. She said she noticed the frames had gotten dusty and even though I insisted that it wasn't necessary, she simply insisted that she must clean them all for me!"

"Oh," Zero replied.

"I'm so sorry for my son's gruff behavior!" The Headmaster apologized since Zero didn't have the decency too. Zero rolled his eyes at being called 'son.' "Now, Zero, why don't you quit harassing our guest and come help me finish things up in here?"

Zero sighed and moodily walked into the kitchen. The Headmaster nodded at Yuki to tell her to continue before slipping back into the kitchen. Yuki quickly gathered up the rest of the photos and then went to her room to store them on her bed. She closed the door behind her before making her way back to the kitchen so Zero wouldn't have the chance to notice them there.

Zero stepped out the kitchen and after noticing Yuki standing beside her bedroom door, said, "Hey, the Headmaster says to leave the frames for now and come eat dinner. Everything's ready now."

"Oh, okay," Yuki replied.

As she started making her way towards the dining room, Zero commented, "Hey, that's not the Headmaster's guest room. What were you doing in it just now?"

"I set the pictures down in there so I could eat," Yuki said.

"Yes, but that's the Headmaster's daughter room!" Zero snapped. "Don't you have any respect for the dead?"

"Respect…for the dead…?" Yuki murmured.

"Yes," Zero said sternly, "Or didn't you have any idea that the Headmaster had a daughter who passed away?"

Yuki stared back at Zero, her face growing pale. This, this is what she had feared the most…


	5. 94th Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"Didn't you know?" Zero questioned, his voice suddenly growing very low. He approached Yuki then and once he was standing right in front of her, he whispered, "The Headmaster has a daughter who passed away a long time ago."

Yuki bit her lip. She was dreading what would slip through Zero's lips next.

"The Headmaster's family, like mine, had a horrific encounter with mad, blood thirty vampire," he voice stayed quiet all the while as he kept sneaking glances toward the kitchen door. "His daughter, wife, and brother-in-law were all murder by that beast. Only the Headmaster managed to survive because…because…"

Zero's eyes were filled with hesitation. Yuki worried that he strongly doubted his own words. He was trying to compensate for the fact that a brother and sister and a husband a wife were both attacked that night, but he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the two pairs were on the same. Nor could he could compensate for their daughter having been adopted by the Headmaster after her real parents passed on. His mind was trying desperately to put all the pieces together when half the pieces were no longer even there.

Zero finally spoke, "I'm…I'm actually pretty surprised your fiancé hasn't told you all this, considering he was there that night too…"

"I was only a child then," Yuki murmured. "That's not something Kaname could just openly discuss with me back that. As for him never telling me, I suppose some stories just fade with time and simply become irrelevant."

"Do they become irrelevant even when they involve family members who are cold-hearted murders?" Zero demanded.

"What…what do you mean?" Yuki questioned.

"I mean, it was _your _uncle that attacked the Headmaster's family," Zero stated. "Ironically enough, I understand that it was Kaname who took your uncle down, ultimately saving the Headmaster's life… Of course, the real war didn't end for another ten years, when I struck the final blow against your uncle last year when he attacked this very academy in order to achieve his revenge against Kaname. Surely you knew at least knew there was an attack on your own fiancé's life last year. Didn't you have any inkling as to how that began?"

"You're insisting that I just should have known about the Headmaster's daughter," Yuki realized, "but he and I were apart all those years he spent here at the academy. I was left alone in the dark about almost everything, even about what had happened to our parents. It wasn't until just this past year that he finally came home and began to explain everything to me. Strangely enough, not even that was enough to properly explain everything that happened over the course of 10 long years, for those 10 long years come with a preceding history that would take even longer to wholly account for."

"And now he's gone and left you again, leaving nothing behind except a few grains of sands which explain all that has happened," Zero said. "Your life has been filled with nothing but loneliness. Oddly enough, you and I are the same, at least in those respects." Zero was smirking as he never thought he'd ever have something in common with a pureblood. To Yuki, however, it was no laughing matter.

_Lonely…_She though, the word pierced her more fiercely than even the fangs of a pureblood. She knew Zero had been struggling with so many things, but she never realized that loneliness, the worth possible emotion any vampire or human could ever feel, was so predominately part of his struggles. _Was he lonely all because of me? _

"Zero, I," Yuki cried out and grabbed at the collar of Zero's jacket. He back away from Yuki, but ultimately didn't actually resist or attempt to remove himself from her grip. They stood there locked in one another's sights.

_Kill Kaname Kuran and that girl will be yours… _

_ Yuki Kuran is no one to me, so why I am…why do I have this desire to just…_

"You what?" Zero questioned, hoping his spoken words would chase away the thoughts plaguing his mind.

"What?" Yuki whispered.

"You were about to say something, but you just awkwardly went silent," Zero stated. He grabbed her wrist then and removed her hand from his jacket. "Look, I don't care how great your hunger is, if you attempt to pierce my neck with your poison fangs, I will eliminate you. Any vampire who recklessly attacks a human will be sentenced to death."

"I wasn't," Yuki insisted, hurt that he'd interpreted her attempt to reach out to him as an attack on his life, but instead she opted she say, "I'm sorry. I should really learn to better control myself."

"Enough about this, then," Zero scoffed. "We should go see if the Headmaster is ready for us."

Yuki looked over to the kitchen door just in time to see the Headmaster quietly slip back in. "Yes," she replied, "Surely dinner must be ready by now."

The two made their way to the dining room. As they sat down at the table together, the Headmaster popped into the dining room only moments later carrying a tray full of food. The table had already been set with plates, glasses, silverware, and a pitcher of water.

"Ah, you two are already all settled in, how wonderful," The Headmaster beamed as he sat the tray down and began filling Yuki and Zero's plates with its various contents. "I'm so glad we have this opportunity to casually chat about the mission, especially considering we haven't had the chance to talk about these past few days."

"Please tell me you have a lead on Kaname," Zero hissed as the Headmaster set a bowl of soup in front of him. He gaze was so fiery that it caused the soup to let out of puff of steam, having raised a whole ten degrees in less than ten seconds.

"Oh, Zero-kun, you're so impatient!" The Headmaster declared.

"And you are completely ridiculous," Zero grunted under his breath. "Seriously, Headmaster, how long am I seriously going to have babysit Kaname Kuran's fiancée before I get back to my normal duties."

"Until she finds Kaname and I don't care if it takes a hundred years for her to do so," The Headmaster said.

"I swear it's already been at least that much time," Zero insisted.

Yuki spoke, "You know, Mr. Association President, if this mission is too inconvenient for this particular hunter, I would be perfectly satisfied if you opted to assign another to assist me."

"Oh, it's not an inconvenience for him at all. Zero just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Every day…for the past 10 years," The Headmaster stated.

"Well, in which case, I do have something to report," Yuki stated. Zero glanced at her, half hoping it was something useful, completely expecting it to be completely useless.

"Oh, how wonderful!" The Headmaster cheered. "Tell us, Miss Kuran. What is that you've found?"

"Well, I was talking to the other vampires over at the Moon Dorm and they suggested that we release Serine from the infirmary and follow her since it's a good possibility that she will go running straight back to Kaname." Yuki said.

"Well, that's an idea," The Headmaster considered. "I'm not entirely certain it will work since we're not entirely sure she even knows where Kaname is, but…it's certainly worth a shot. Alright, then, I say we release her first thing in the morning."

Standing up, Zero said, "Finally, this mission has the potential of going somewhere."

"Um, Zero-kun, you haven't even touched your soup," The Headmaster murmured. "Where are you going?"

"To start packing for our trip tomorrow," Zero snapped like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, come on, Zero, stay awhile," The Headmaster begged. "You're always working. You need to sit down for a while. Besides, I went to all the trouble to prepare this food for you. Don't tell me you're just going to waste it!"

Sighing, Zero sat back down and muttered, "Fine."

"Good, I'm so glad you're staying," The Headmaster said as he handed Yuki a bowl a soup and then began to fill one up for himself. He sat down himself then and asked, "Well, now that all that nasty association business is sorted out…tell me, how were your days?"

"Well, I had a nice long chat with Yori-chan," Yuki brought up. "That's was pretty nice."

"Wait," Zero spoke, "You know Yori?"

"Uh…" Yuki murmured and blushed. "I…uh, er…I…"

"Of course," The Headmaster put in. "They met the night of the ball when Yori went to visit her other vampire friend and well, she and Yuki just hit it off. Isn't that right, Yuki?"

"Uh, yes, that's right!" Yuki laughed nervously.

"Funny, I don't remember seeing the two of you together," Zero said. "Although, I can't say I remember her other friend all that well either. I guess you all look the same to me, though. You're all just beasts that need to be hunted down."

"Zero!" The Headmaster scolded. "That is no way to speak to our guest!"

"No, it's fine, really," Yuki insisted. "He's right. We vampires have caused nothing but trouble over the centuries. Perhaps it would be best if we were to all just fall of the face of the earth."

"Oh my, Yuki…don't tell me you intend to help Kaname to start killing all the purebloods once you're reunited with him?" The Headmaster gasped.

"No, I won't mindlessly kill like he's doing," Yuki replied. "But, should any other vampire come to his senses and decides he wants to end it all or at least decides that he is tired of living, I would be more than happy to fulfill his wish."

"Yuki, I don't really know if that's the best solution either. I mean, do you really want to taint your own hands like that?" The Headmaster questioned.

"Why not?" Yuki wondered. "You, yourself, Mr. Hunter, have tainted your hands, so why should I hesitate to taint mine. Besides, mine have already been tainted with Rido's blood, so I don't see how there's any going back now."

"Hold on!" Zero demanded. "What do you mean your hands are tainted with Rido's blood? You hadn't even been to this academy until a few days ago and yet you're insisting you played a role in Rido's ultimate demise?"

_Damn…that's twice I've slipped up now…_

"No…you have been to this academy before," Zero whispered. "That night, you were unconscious on the roof. Kaname gave you his blood to help. I had this intense urge to help you, but you suddenly told me…that Kaname was your brother."

Yuki and the Headmaster exchanged glances. Not even the Headmaster was quite sure how he could explain away this one.

_Yes…I was in Yori's room. The two of them were in their…together, when suddenly, Kaname slipped out the window and on to the roof. I was terrified, but, I hadn't even known that she had existed up until that moment. _

"I thought…I must have thought that Kaname had kidnapped a human girl and had every intention of devouring her. But then she…you told me that you were his sister. And I left after that…" Zero murmured.

"Zero, are you alright?" The Headmaster wondered.

"My…head hurts," Zero replied.

"Then why don't you go lay down for a while?" The Headmaster suggested. He went around the table to help him up and then guided him to his old room. Yuki watched shaking as the two left the dining room. When the Headmaster returned a few minutes later, he said, "I have Zero all situated in his room. Why don't you go ahead and finish your meal?"

"I'm…not very hungry anymore," Yuki said.

"Alright, then I put the leftovers in the fridge. You go ahead and eat them whenever you are hungry." The Headmaster replied.

"Thank you," Yuki replied and she stood up.


	6. 95th Night: The Hunt is On

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

As the Headmaster began gathering up the dishes, Yuki started to make her way to her own room, but then stopped at Zero's door. She hesitated a moment, knocked softly, and then let herself in.

Zero had been lying on his side away from the door. When the light in the hallway suddenly crept into his room, he rolled over onto his back and murmured, "Who is it?"

Yuki closed the door behind her and then sat down on the edge of Zero's bed.

"Miss Kuran, what are you doing?" Zero questioned as he sat up.

Yuki was silent for a few moments. Then she said, "I just wanted to tell you that before dinner, when we were talking and you thought I wanted to drink your blood…that's not what I was actually doing…"

"Then what were you doing?" Zero demanded.

"I was trying to apologize," Yuki said.

"Apologize for what?" Zero wondered.

_What am I doing? I want to tell him everything, but, will it even make any sense? I thought he was going to have Level E attack for a minute there! I don't want to provoke that again! _

"Look, I'll be honest. I am not happy about having to be your personal escort or body guard…or whatever you want to call it," Zero started. "But don't feel like you have to apologize. Like I said, this is just work. I don't want any personal feelings to get mixed up in all this."

"Okay, but I feel like the least I can do for you in return is to offer up my blood to you," Yuki explained. "I mean, I know you're not in any real condition to be working so hard so—

"I take it the Headmaster told you about me then," Zero interrupted. "Look, I don't want you feeling sorry for me either!"

"It's…it's not about that," Yuki lied. "I'm just saying, the least I can do to repay you for your services is to let you drink my blood."

"I see," Zero murmured, as he eyed the young, smooth flesh on the back of her neck glowing in the moonlight peeping through the closed curtains. While his stubborn pride made him want to pick Yuki up and throw her right back into the hall, the temptation of this moment was simply too great for him. He choked and gasped a little bit as he told himself to resist. His eyes grew red, and then, without a moment more of hesitation, Zero grabbed Yuki's shoulders and bit into that soft skin.

_And so we return to this…Zero secretly drinking my blood in the dark._

Yuki kept her mind focused on Kaname in order to keep herself from revealing memories about her and Zero. She forced blurred moments of Kaname's comings and goings, sneaking kisses in the rare moments they had actually spent together. For a brief moment, as she thought of Kaname's lips against hers, the intimacy of the present moment took her back to Zero and she unwittingly began to reminisce about the kiss they shared. She shook that thought out of her mind and instead thought of her own thirst and the desire to drink Zero's blood crept its way through. She tried to move past it, to think of Kaname's blood, its taste, its temperature…

…Zero jerked away just then.

"Your mind is a rather disturbing place," Zero commented. "You long to be back at your fiancé's side and yet you are tempted by the warmth of another's body…a complete stranger's body."

_So…he thought those were awkward fantasies rather than actual events…? _

"This is just work. Don't let yourself become vulnerable to me or anyone else. I promise, you will be back with the one you truly need soon enough." Zero explained. "You should go now. I've had more than enough of your blood tonight."

Yuki stood up and wiped the remaining blood away from her already healing neck. As she did she replied, "Well, feel free to have all you want later on. There is no limit to how grateful I am to you, so there is therefore no limit to how much blood I am willing to offer you."

"No limit?" Zero questioned. He was almost humored by her statement. "You would even allow me to devour your life?"

"No," Yuki replied sharply. "If you ever become that hungry, I will simply have to take another course of action to satisfy you."

"Such as…?" Zero asked.

_You can trust me, Zero. I will relieve your suffering. I will grant your ultimate wish. _

"Good night, Mr. Hunter," Yuki spoke, blatantly refusing to answer his question. She stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Zero continued kneeling on his bed, his expression blank. He couldn't make heads or tails of what this woman was trying to do. She had held the mouse by its tail and dangled in front of his feline teeth. He wiped his mouth, ashamed of how much control the beast had over him. He was baffled by Yuki's romantic desire to drink his blood, but also her adulterated desire to be intimate with Zero.

_Kill Kaname Kuran and that girl will be all yours…_

He was even more baffled by his reciprocated desires towards this pureblood vampire…

* * *

Yaguri sat down in a chair next to Serine's bed in the infirmary. She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. This was how she'd been ever since she woke up from her coma. Whenever she tried to sleep, she'd wake up screaming. And so, she had opted not to sleep anymore. She hadn't sleep in almost a week. Her cold persistence amazed even Yaguri.

"The Association has decided that it's time to let you go," Yaguri spoke. He was holding her neatly fold clothes and as he placed them on the bed, he explained, "They've been washed. You can change into them anytime. We'll, of course, give you a hot meal before sending you off and also send you with some basic supplies for your journey home. That is, of course, if you have no intention of rejoining the Night Class…"

Even though the Head Master's orders were to send Serine on her way as soon as possible, Yaguri felt such a strong obligation to her that he simply couldn't stand the thought of casting her away with no place to go. While he felt she would go to the ends of the earth to find Kaname, Yaguri believed there was no way even Serine knew where Kaname had disappeared to. He didn't know whether even Kaname was terrified that he'd mindlessly start butchering those to closest to him, or whether Kaname had some other insane reasoning for abandoning them. All he knew that each that they had in fact all been abandoned—Aidou, Yuki, and Serine included.

When Serine remained silent, Yaguri spoke, "I know you have no intention of revealing your plans to me. I think you're wise in doing so. And I know that I am a fool for revealing ours. I don't think I have much other choice, though, and I know there's only way you'll believe me."

Serine turned her head as Yaguri began to roll up his sleeve. He extended his forearm in her general direction. She said up and stared down at his bare flesh. Then, she looked him in the eye and whispered, "Why would you do that? Why would you blatantly betray the Association?"

"Just do it!" Yaguri snapped. Serine's face scrunched up for a moment before she buried her fangs into Yaguri's arm. Yaguri focused his thoughts on the Headmaster's plan to have Yuki and Zero follow Serine after her release in hopes of leading her back to Kaname. Serine tried to lift her head after this message became clear, but Yaguri placed his hand on the back of her head to keep her from doing so. He wasn't finished. His hand still on her head, he tried to convince her that she was in no condition to be wandering about on her own. He pleaded with her to rejoin the Night Class. He also pleaded with her to reveal any information she might have in regards to the whereabouts of Kaname. He told her that they were in on the same side. He reminded her that she had almost died because of Kaname. She should be longing for the same revenge that Zero and the other hunters were seeking.

He took his hand of off her head and she released his arm from her jaws. Yaguri stood up then and announced, "I'm going to find the nurse and get a bandage put on this thing. In the meantime, you should think carefully about what I've just said to you."

He walked away then, leaving Serine's face blood stained and frozen in a twisted pain.

* * *

"Oh, Zero, Yuki, is that really all you're taking?" The Headmaster asked as he eyed there very small bags, which couldn't have contained much more than toothbrushes and a few changes of clothes.

"We're going a hunt, not a luxury cruise!" Zero snapped. "You really think we want to haul around a bunch of luggage while we're trekking on foot all the way to god knows where?"

"I see, you have a point," The Headmaster agreed. There was a knock on the door then. When the Headmaster called for the person to let themselves in, Yaguri's suddenly appeared.

"Oh, my, what a surprise," The Headmaster spoke. "To think the great Toga Yaguri would honor his bright young pupil by coming to see him off."

Yaguri's bandages were hidden under the sleeve of his coat. Even so, Yuki and Zero immediately caught the scent of blood still lingering on his skin.

"Master!" Zero choked and ran to Yaguri's side. "Did you get hurt?"

"Pipe down, get off me!" Yaguri snapped and jerked his arm away from Zero. "Whiny little brat still fawning over every little scratch I get…"

"What happened?" The Headmaster demanded, his eyes growing serious.

"Do you even have to ask?" Yaguri grunted.

"No…I suppose not," The Headmaster sighed. Zero's eyes grew large as he suddenly realized it himself.

"You didn't…" Zero hissed.

Yuki, still in the dark, asked, "He didn't do what?"

Zero explained, "He let Serine drink his blood. She knows everything now."

Yuki demanded, "Why? Why was would you do that? She was our only hope of finding Kaname!"

"No!" Yaguri snapped. "She just a helpless child being forced to play the Association's sick game. If you want to find Kaname, then get off your pureblood, princess ass and start looking for him yourself!"

The Headmaster shouted above the two, "Enough!"

Yaguri just grunted and said, "I came to tell you that she will be joining the Night Class, so you should go and prepare the necessary paper work."

Yaguri turned to leave and when he opened the door, he found Kaito standing outside.

Kaito cut the chase, "We've got a problem."

"What?" Yaguri demanded.

"When the nurse came in to serve that vampire her breakfast, she was gone. She didn't even bother to change into her own clothes." Kaito explained.

"Damn," Yaguri hissed.

Zero pushed passed Yaguri and Kaito then and took off running. When Kaito called to ask where Zero was going, Zero called back with even stopping, "To find Serine! She couldn't have gone far!"

Yuki started running after Zero then.

"It seems Serine knows something after all," The Headmaster considered. "Our plan worked after all."

"And I had to let that beast drink my blood just so you could prove to yourself that you weren't sending your precious children out on a wild goose chase," Yaguri muttered, "And I to go and cover it up for you just so you wouldn't lose their trust."

"Yuki and I are already at odds regarding her future with Kaname. I just couldn't risk losing her," The Headmaster said. "Not mention, Kiryuu is Kiryuu."

"Just don't ask me to dirty my hands again!" Yaguri snapped and walked out of the Headmaster's house.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Kaito murmured, "He was really hoping Serine would join the Night Class, wasn't he?"

"Yes," The Headmaster replied. "To think, the great Toga Yaguri, would find himself attached to a vampire…"


	7. 96th Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"Zero! Hey, Zero, wait up, would you?" Yuki called as she remained stuck at a distance about ten feet behind Zero. He disappeared through the academy's main gates, leaving Yuki standing in the dust that he'd kicked up. Exhausted, Yuki fell to her knees, surrendering the chase.

_Why am I so useless during the day? _

She stood up after a few moments and started after Zero again. After running just a few steps, though, Akatski's voice came from behind her. "You know you're just wasting your breath chasing after her, right?"

Yuki turned around to see Ruka and Takuma standing on either side of him. She questioned, "How did you know Serine had run off?"

Takuma replied, "Well, we asked some of the…well, lower class night students to act as spies. We were concerned about the presence of the Association and so we opted to take the defensive."

"But, the Association isn't our enemy," Yuki insisted.

"They kill vampires!" Ruka scoffed.

Yuki rebutted, "But only when it's absolutely necessary!"

Akatski spoke, "Alright, calm down, both of you. We have more important things to worry about right now than whether or not the Association is going to attack us in our sleep."

Ruka said, "Well, we wouldn't even be in this situation in the Association had opted to go with our plan rather than risking manipulating it just to make their job easier. Don't you think if we had thought Serine we would listen to reason, one of us would have talked to her ourselves, Lady Yuki?"

"Mr. Yaguri went and did that all on his own," Yuki insisted, "So please don't blame the Association itself."

Laughing, Ruka responded, "Oh don't be so naïve. The President was—

Takuma injected, "Now, now, Ruka, let's not forget that this is our princess we're talking to."

"Right, _our _princess," Ruka said, "Don't tell me we're seriously just going to sit around and allow the Association to manipulate her!"

Akatski said, "Look, I don't like fraternizing with Association any more than you do, but there's no question that we need Kiryuu if even intend to have a sliver of hope of finding Lord Kaname."

"Hmp! I can't imagine what use that Level E brat is going to be other than bait to satisfy Lord Kaname's hunger..." Ruka grunted.

"He'll be fine…so long as Lady Yuki continues to him to give him her blood," Akatski insisted.

Yuki's eyes grew wide. "You mean know…you know what happened last night?"

"Honestly, we know about every time you gave your blood to Kiryuu. Every. Single. Time." Akatski stated.

_Of course…it would be impossible for them to not to…especially considering I know about every single time they drink each other's blood, even all the way in the Moon Dorm…_

"Well, then, shall we join the search effort?" Takuma asked.

"It's better than standing around twiddling our thumbs," Ruka said.

Yuki asked, "So you intend to help me and Zero chase after Serine?"

"Um…well, I don't think there will be any chasing at present," Takuma replied. "You see, we're almost positive that Serine hasn't step foot off of this campus."

Yuki wondered, "What makes you think that?"

"She's not the time to risk a futile escape. She's knows Zero would have her cornered in a second if she just ran," Akatski explained. "So instead, she found someplace to hide out here to throw off Zero's scent."

_There's not even a sliver of hope of catching Lord Kaname if we don't have Kiryuu…_

_ Zero would have her cornered in a second if she just ran…_

_ Why…why does Akatski believe so much in Zero? _

"Alright, that makes sense," Yuki considered. "You guys go ahead and help look for her while I go and get Zero."

"As you wish, Lady Yuki," Takuma smiled. The three aristocrats turned to make their way back toward the main buildings, the four exchanging 'see you a little bits' as they did.

Yuki turned to walk out the gate then.

* * *

Zero leaned against the crumbling wall of an abandoned building about a mile away from the academy. His chest rose and fell rapidly and fumbled around in his jacket in search of his blood tablets. He held his breath in the moments that he took to rip the box out and messily pour its contents down throat. More slid down his shirt than ended up in his mouth, but he quickly snatched up the all the stray tablets that he could manage and promptly shoved those in his mouth as well, gasping for a breath of air in between mouthfuls. He let the empty box fall to the ground and slid down as well, resting his back and head on the wall.

_I shouldn't have drunk that woman's blood_, he thought, leaning his head and shoulders forward as he covered his forehead with his palms, _that image she put in my head is messing with it and now I can barely even concentrate on work…_

Yuki Kuran was staring wistfully up at Zero, who was adorned in the costume and mask he'd worn the ball on the very same night they met. She watched as Zero, unguarded, bent over and kissed her softly.

_Why is she having those thoughts about me? Is she honestly so lonely without Kaname Kuran by her side that she would allow any man or beast to come along and let that person snatch her away from her him? _

He licked away the powdery residue that remained on his lips. It tasted bitter, like medicine. He closed his eyes and long for the moment that Yuki Kuran's blood had slipped through his lips, bathed his tongue, and then slid down his burning esophagus.

_I drank Sara's blood. I even drank Kaname Kuran's blood. But not even their blood was so refreshing…so perfect. Why is Yuki's blood in a quality in well out of the realm of her own brother's? _

Zero shook his then and thought, _I have to stop letting myself think like this…_

"Zero!" Yuki Kuran's voice suddenly pierced his thoughts. She threw her on the ground then and took hold of Zero's shoulders. She was in such a panic that her shaking caused him to tremble as well, although, he somehow felt soothed by the warmth of her hands as well. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

Zero said nothing. He merely stared at Yuki as fought against the escapade of feelings welling up inside him. Fearing that he midst of a Level E attack, she promptly pressed her throat to his lips and demanded, "Here, just take it! Take it please!"

A chill went down Yuki's spin as she felt the cold tip of Zero's tongue against her skin. She closed her eyes and fought off romantic thoughts of as she dreaded the moment Zero would delve into her mind and discover her feelings were far deeper than either one could comprehend. Zero opened his eyes and upon seeing her bunch of face, he lifted his hand and pushed her away.

Yuki opened up her eyes and stared into Zero's. He burrowed his eyebrows in attempt to express angry instead of admitting that he was too afraid to cause her more pain by digging his fangs into her veins.

"Zero…" Yuki whispered in her tend voice, "Are you okay?"

"I fine," Zero replied, unable to mask the sympathy in his voice or to prevent it from crack as he said, "You really don't really need to worry about me so much."

_I honestly don't know what I'd do with myself if I didn't spend all my time worrying about him, _Yuki found herself thinking.

"Are you sure?" Yuki asked. "Are you sure that you don't need my blood."

_I want it more than you can imagine. But for now, I think I'll be fine. Somehow, just being next to you is enough…_

"No, I don't need it right now," Zero insisted.

_Kill Kaname Kuran and the girl will be all yours…_

_ Why can't I remember who Sara was talking about…? Why would she even suggest me stealing away Kaname Kuran's fiancée? _

Yuki stood in front of Zero, Artemis in hand. She grew nervous as Zero grabbed and his kissed her passionately. The rubble cause by Zero's battle with Rido and the vines of the Bloody Rose could be seen clearly behind Zero in the moments before Yuki closed her eyes.

A kiss shared with Kaname Kuran's fiancée at the ball he'd attend recently. A kiss shared with that mysterious Pureblood on the battlefields of one of the darkest nights Cross Academy ever had to live through.

_Why did I see those distinct images and in such distinct places…? _

"Yu…Miss Kuran," Zero impulsively addressed Yuki, intending to ask this question aloud. But when Yuki responded, he merely said, "We should get back to the hunt."

Yuki nodded and she stood up, she began to explain what was going on back on campus.

* * *

"Rima! Shiki!" Yuki blurted out the two vampire's names and she burst through the Moon Dormitories front doors. "Has Serine been found yet?"

"No," Rima scoffed. "What did you expect? She's barely even been missing an hour…"

"Oh," Yuki whispered, "Is there anything I can do?"

Shiki grunted, "You're asking _us _what _you _should do? And here I thought you were the one in charge here…"

"Right," Yuki realized.

"I don't even know why you're bothering, though," Rima sighed. "The plan's been blown sky high thanks to that stupid Association President. Serine would die before she'd knowingly lead us to Kaname."

"What you mean thanks to the Association President?" Yuki questioned, angered by the thought that her respected adopted father had anything do with messing up what she could perceive as her last chance of finding Kaname.

"Oh, come on, wake up, it's totally obvious that it was Kaien Cross's idea!" Aidou blurted. He had been sulking in a corner by himself rather than socializing with his two old companions. He came out long enough, though, to approach Yuki and practically spit in her face. "This is _all _because him and his ridiculous pacifist ideals! He thought that he if he get Serine to join his side then she would just roll out the red carpet in front of Kaname's hiding place. But he thought wrong! Serine would never betray Lord Kaname!"

"So…it really is all over then," Yuki whispered as tears started forming in her eyes. "There's no way we're going to find Kaname now. More innocent vampires are going to die. And then once he purifies this world of what he thinks it needs to be immediately purified of…he's just going throw himself into the Parent Furnace and leave me behind…just like all those other times before…"

"Your wrong, Yuki," Aidou spoke, "Kaname would never just leave you behind. I guarantee you that he is satisfied to know that you are safe under the careful watch of Zero, me, and all the other Night Class students. I guarantee he would have never would have blatantly left you behind if he thought your safety was in jeopardy for even a second."

"That's not the same as actually being here with me, holding me in his arms and protecting me himself," Yuki stated.

"Well even if that isn't enough for you, it's enough for me," Aidou claimed. Then he declared, "It's enough for me to believe that we can use Kaname's own sense of security against him. Yes! Yuki, there is still one last hope the lead Kaname directly and willing into the Association's hand.

"How?" Yuki wondered.

"You can die!" Aidou shouted as he plunged towards Yuki and pinned her against the door.

"Hanabusa, what are you doing?" Rima demanded as Zero ripped out the Bloody Rose and held up to Aidou's head.

"How fitting a revenge this is going to be," Aidou grinned maliciously. "Kaname took away someone very dear to me, so now, I'm going to take away someone dear to him!"


	8. 97th Night

Disclaimer: I don't Vampire Knight or any characters

"Alright, everyone, just calm down! I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation for all of this!" A teacher shouted above the crowd of students screaming about how someone had heard gun shots coming from the Moon Dormitory. The teacher shouted a few more things when suddenly the Headmaster appeared, causing the students quiet down and allowing her to relieve a sigh of relief.

One female student yelled, "Headmaster, what happened in the Moon Dormitory?"

"Yeah? What happened in the Moon Dormitory?" A few more voices from the crowd shouted.

The Headmaster started, "Alright, everyone, just please—

But he was interrupted by a male student demanded, "What's with this school anyways? This is the third strange thing that's happened in less than 2 years' time!"

"Yeah, it is!" The crowd roared in agreement. "What's going on here? Why do crazy thing always happen here?"

The teacher who'd been trying to calm the crowd before bit her lip. Even she couldn't deny that something was seriously wrong with the safety at Cross Academy. She knew it was her duty as a proper educator to report the serious lack of security and protection to the proper authorities.

"The students are right!" The teacher found herself shouting above the crowd, which quieted down to her speak. "And it's high time action be taken against this school!"

The crowd grew riled up once again. "Yeah! Get the police in here already! Get this place shut down—permanently this time!"

The Headmaster bowed his head and said, "I am truly sorry for the danger you have all been put in. If you all wish of transfer, Cross Academy with personally make the arrangements to ensure all your credits will be accepted by a more suitable institution."

He pushed through the still outraged crowd then to meet up with Zero, who was standing amongst the masses trying to calm them down. Upon seeing the Headmaster, Zero promptly turned around from his policing to walk off with the Headmaster to a secluded spot.

"Okay, Zero," The Headmaster spoke, "You want to tell me what happened?"

* * *

The police were called in the afternoon and ordered the students to leave the school grounds immediately. The day students had their bags packs and were on the train home within hours. The night class students had to be relocated. The Association, however, opted to keep its headquarters there. Zero, Rima, and Shiki had meanwhile all been taken down to the police station and interrogated separately, as they were all eye witnesses.

The Headmaster requested a meeting with the police department bright and early the next morning. Two officers had come to accept his request..

One of the officers explained, not bothering to beat around the bush with small talk, "The three witness's story collaborated. It seems a female night class student by the name of Yuki Kuran was murdered by a fellow night class student named Hanabusa Aidou. He, however, used a method other than shooting to kill her. The shots heard by the day class students were an attempt by day class student Zero Kiryuu to subdue Aidou, but unfortunately he was unsuccessful in saving the girl's life. Aidou's right leg and right shoulder were shot. He is currently in a prison hospital recuperating. Kiryuu was also taken in last night for attacking a classmate."

"The case is pretty clear cut," the second officer spoke. "We have three eye witnesses to the murder and a confession to the attack from Kiryuu. Now I know you called us here in attempt to get the two boys released, but I'm afraid that's just not going to be possible."

The Head Master replied, "Yes, I know. They are both clearly guilty. But, you have to understand, that, well—

"The boys' situation is delicate, as you have already reported to the police," one of the officers finished the Headmaster's statement. "So, tell us, just how is it 'delicate?"

The Headmaster sighed deeply. He had been up all night preparing the respective excuses. "Aidou is currently in a state of deep depression as his father just passed away. Kiryuu is in much the same shoes, as he not only depressed from having lost his parents five years ago, but also his brother last year. Also, Kiryuu is both physically as well as mentally unstable."

"Look, if you want Aidou to plead insanity, that's your advice to give him. But we do not intend to drop the charges. A young girl was brutally murdered yesterday morning and we are not about to just sweep that under the rug!" The other officer declared. "As for Kiryuu…the judge is going to be sympathetic to the fact that he was defending another human life and the case is probably going to get dropped in court."

The Headmaster's main concern wasn't that the boys were mentally incapable of handling prison. No, he worried about what they might do should they become too hungry, Zero especially. If human got murdered by a vampire under the eyes of the government, there would be no telling just how even darker the future would become for vampires.

Of course, this wasn't information he couldn't openly share with the two officers. He surrendered his plea in getting the boy's charges dropped.

"Alright then, I surrender my argument," The Headmaster sighed.

"Very well," one of the officers nodded. "Now…do have anything to say in regards to your own charges?"

"No, I openly admit that safety protocol was blatantly ignored at Cross Academy." The Headmaster stated.

"Alright, we're done here, then," the other officer spoke. "Guard, please take the prisoner back to his cell."

* * *

"Nope…there's no way," Kaito sighed. He was sitting at the Headmaster's desk counting through the messy heap of cash sitting on top of it. Yaguri stood in front of the desk, nonchalantly smoking a cigarette. "The Association's not going to be able to bail out of three of them. The only that's getting out today is Zero, considering his bail's the lowest…any word on how the Headmaster's meeting with police went this morning?"

"Yeah, he called me right after. It didn't go well at all. He knew was a long shot getting Zero's and that night class student's charges dropped, though." Yaguri said.

"But still, you have to admire the guy for trying. He's pretty beat up over all this and he feels terrible the Association went completely broke after the headquarters was destroyed. All our money was buried in the rubble." Kaito just shook his head.

Yaguri said nothing in response. He only silently inhaled more tobacco.

Kaito jerked his head up upon hearing the soft sound of the clicking hinge of the front door. It was shut tight, just as he and Yaguri had left it. He stood up, though, and rushed over to rip it open.

"What is it?" Yaguri asked.

Seeing nothing out the hallway in either direction, Kaito just said, "…it was nothing, I guess."

* * *

Kaito was down at the police station about in an hour later, after finally getting all the money together to bail Zero out. Upon requesting Zero's release, however, the secretary at the jail house replied, "That person already made bail."

"What? How?" Kaito wondered.

"A young woman came in about twenty minutes ago and post bail for all three of the prisoners at Cross Academy. They should be coming out any moment now if you want to wait for them on that bench over there…" The secretary pointed the bench that sat up against the wall opposite of where she was sitting.

"A young woman…what did she look like? What was her name?" Kaito demanded.

"I…I don't remember her name off the top of my head, but…she had short purple hair and—

"Serine!" Kaito gasped.

"Yeah, that's it," The secretary confirmed.

_I don't believe it…why would she post their bail? _

"Kaito, you're here!" The Headmaster cheered as he came out of the door leading into the cell area of the jail house. Zero silently followed behind him. A guard escorted them. "I can't believe you managed to post all our bails!"

"I…I actually didn't," Kaito said. "And you won't believe who did!"

"Who?" The Headmaster wondered.

"Serine," Kaito stated.

"Serine?" Zero and the Headmaster both repeated, although their tones were distinctively different. While Headmaster was clearly intrigued, Zero's eyes had become fiery.

"How long ago?" Zero questioned.

"About…twenty five minutes," Kaito said.

Zero stomped towards Kaito and then straight passed him to the main door.

"Zero," Kaito addressed him, "Don't bother chasing after her. You know we don't—

Zero let the door slam behind him.

The secretary spoke, "Look, I don't know where he's going, but he knows he can't leave town, right?"

"Don't worry, we won't let him," The Headmaster assured her.

"And don't you leave town either!" She said firmly.

"I won't," The Headmaster said sincerely. "So, would you mind telling me what you intended to do with Hanabusa Aidou…the student who was in the prison hospital."

"Oh, he's in stable condition and being transported by ambulance to the local public hospital. You'll probably be able to visit him now if you want." The secretary explained.

"Thank you. I'm sure we will go see him after a while," The Headmaster replied. He and Kaito walked towards the door then. Before leaving, the Headmaster told the secretary to have a wonderful day.

* * *

"Alright, come out," Zero demanded, pointing his gun down an alley way. It was completely closed off, surrounded by buildings on its left, right, and back sides. And it was empty, save for the dumpster the back right corner. Zero approached and said, "The scent of blood is overpowering. You made it more than easy for me to find you. If only you'd been able to hold off till you got out of town, but I know you haven't feasted since the Hunter Association headquarters was destroyed…"

The lid of the dumpster lifted from a source within. Serine crawled out, covered in muck.

She maintained her professional demeanor even then as she said, "I won't lead you to Lord Kaname. So you might as well just shoot me here and now."

Zero grinned and slipped the Bloody Rose back into his jacket pocket.

"You're not needed anymore anyways. Once Kaname hears that his fiancée has been murdered, he'll come running back here." Zero said confidently.

"Then why did you chase me down?" Serine questioned. "Am I wanted by the Association for something?"

"No…I suppose it was just hunter's instinct." Zero replied nonchalantly.

"I see," Serine said. "May I go now then?"

"Sure," Zero replied and he stepped aside to give Serine room to get out of the narrow alley way.

Before walking down the street, Serine said, "Please tell that higher up hunter that I truly appreciated his attempts to comfort me. Even though I doubted him at first, after he let me drink his blood, I saw his true feelings towards me. I know he honestly cared for me…in a fatherly sort of way. I can tell that being a father figure is a large part of who he is."

Serine walked away then.

_Yes, Master, I know you really do care…even if you don't always show it…you're a big softy after all…_

* * *

Aidou stared gloomily out his hospital window. Even though this one hadn't come with the bar decoration, he still felt like he was living in a cage. The minutes were passing slowly. He waited desperately to finally see Kaname's face again. He was terrified that he wasn't going to show. He was terrified that everything he did was going to be for nothing after all.

"Come and find me, Lord Kaname," Aidou pleaded out loud, "Come and punish me for taking away the one that you hold most dear…"


	9. 98th Night: Love and Being in Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

_Kaname…why, Kaname? Why do you feel like you can't talk to me about what you're going through? Did you think you would lose me? Did you not realize that nothing in the world would have ever made me leave you? _

_ Somehow, though, I never truly trusted that you would never leave me. I suppose that even after I became a vampire, some part of me still thought that there was no way you could ever truly be mine…that distance I felt whenever I'd admire you from afar and wistfully imagine you were mine never truly disappeared from my heart…_

_ Was that it, Kaname? Did you feel that same distance wedging its way between us? Did you feel my insecurity? Did my own insecurity make you insecure as well? Did you not realize how much I truly wanted to be with you…how much I truly was yours...because I never wholly realized how much you were truly mine?_

_ Or did you not love me the same way I love you? Did you not feel like nothing in the world could keep you away from me…not even your own insecurity? _

_ Did you never truly forget your first love? The one you had to give up so long ago…_

_ You are my first love, Kaname, so I know…I know what that pure and innocent bond feels like. But like you…I have another love…a love I just can't seem to shed my attachment of… _

_ How can you love someone so much and yet…and yet be severed from them because of silly and ambiguous feelings for another? _

_ Is that you view your feelings toward me, Kaname? Silly and ambiguous…coming with a certain desperation to love someone else because you're so afraid of ultimately winding up lonely…_

_ I was so afraid that I'd never be able to have you that I found myself clinging to another…I found myself falling for Zero only after I realized his feelings for me because in my heart that I thought Zero would never have abandoned…_

_ He never would have abandoned Yuki Cross…_

_ But, you, Kaname, have blatantly gone and abandoned me…you weren't safe enough, so my heart sought that security in fantasy that ended before it even began._

_ Is that really all I am to you, too? Am I merely your back-up plan? _

_ …_

_ And if my feelings for Zero are based on a desperate lie and a desperate need to be love then why…why do I still love him this much? _

Yuki's tears splashed into the dish water and she planted her hands on either side of the sink and began to fiercely cry. She had snuck into the Headmaster's house late into the night, sometime after all the other students had left and the police cars had driven away from the front of the campus. She'd spent much the night pacing around the house in the dark, terrified that their plan wasn't going to work. She thought Kaname was going to see right through it. When the sun finally came up and she saw the house work that had been neglected since the Headmaster had been arrested, she thought it her responsibility to do the chores.

_I'll wash you dry, okay, Yuki?  
Sure, Zero…_

Yuki's nanny had passed on a short while before Zero had come to live with her and the Headmaster. The Headmaster had wanted to look for a replacement, but Yuki had insisted it wasn't necessary. She was old enough by then to stay home alone if she had to and help out with chores. She had also felt that replacing her nanny would have been much like replacing her mother. That woman had been the only mother Yuki had ever truly known.

Zero had been quiet and obedient when he first came to live with the Crosses. Whenever the Headmaster asked him to do something, he simply did it. So, doing chores together became a natural part of Yuki and Zero's daily routine. Even when they had gone to high school and had been allowed to move into the dorms, they still found themselves spending a lot of time together at their childhood home.

Yuki felt so strange and so lonely just then without Zero there to help her. She thought about all the few times she'd had to do the dishes alone and realized that Zero had been there more often than not.

_If my feelings for Zero are based on a desperate lie and a desperate need to be love then why…why do I still love him this much? _

"Yuki! Yuki, we're home, where are you?"

Yuki jerked her head up upon hearing the Headmaster's voice and made a mad dash into the living room to greet him.

"Well hello there," The Headmaster smiled upon seeing the look of relieved surprise on Yuki's faced.

"Headmaster, Zero!" Yuki cried and found herself running to Zero without even thinking. She placed her hands on Zero's stomach and gasped, "How did you get out of jail?"

"Serine came and bailed us out," Zero stated.

"Serine? Really?" Yuki cried. "Where is she now?"

"I don't know," Zero said. "Given the current circumstances, we just decided to let her go."

"I see," Yuki replied. She looked down, then, too ashamed to look Zero in the eye as she whispered, "I am so sorry all this happened. I never thought the police would get involved."

"It's fine," Zero insisted. "I was the one who fired those shots that those day class girls who were spying on the Night Class heard, so if it's anyone's fault, it's mine…"

* * *

"If you want Kaname to come running back here, then all you have to do is die, Yuki Cross!" Aidou yelled as he pinned Yuki up against the main door of the Night Class dormitory. Ice formed up Yuki's legs, all way up her back, and around her arms and shoulders. Zero ripped the Bloody Rose from his jacket and aimed it directly at Aidou's head.

"Hanabusa, let her go!" Zero demanded. "Or I will take you down!

"What do you care, Zero?" Aidou sneered, turning his gaze towards Zero. "You said that you wanted all Purebloods dead, so I'd say I'm doing you favor by killing this girl."

"I…" Zero sputtered as he realized that what Aidou was saying was true. Zero should have wanted Yuki Kuran dead just as much as he wanted any vampire dead. He couldn't believe that he would grow so attached to a Pureblood that he would actually find himself defending their life. He shouted, "I don't want to happen like this!"

"Like what?" Aidou demanded. "If you want the satisfaction for yourself, then go on then…I can tell that Bloody Rose is just dying to put a bullet in this evil Pureblood's heart."

"There is no order from the Association to kill this Pureblood," Zero stated.

"Well, lucky for me, I don't follow the orders of that damn Association," Aidou said.

Shiki spoke, "What do you honestly intend to, Hanabusa? It's not like you can handle an anti-vampire gun. And even if we were to stand here why you tried to beat her black and blue or even tried to drink every last drop of her blood, you still wouldn't be able to actually kill her."

"Damn," Aidou whispered. He stepped back a few feet. Yuki meanwhile melted the ice that was restricting her limbs. Aidou said, "Do you have any idea what I'm going through, Yuki? I miss my father so much and yet…yet I still can't hate Lord Kaname…and I hate myself for that! But even so, I want nothing more than for Lord Kaname to come back."

"I want him to come back too," Yuki said. "I understand exactly how you feel, Aidou."

"No, you don't understand, because you can't possibly understand how I feel about Lord Kaname!" Aidou shouted. "You have no idea how you can love someone so much and yet not actually be in love with them. How do you…how do you even define something like that?"

_Love someone…without actually being in love with them?_

"You know, Aidou, maybe you're right," Zero spoke, still holding the Bloody Rose by his side. "Maybe the only to make Kaname come back is for Yuki to die."

Rima muttered, "Don't tell me you're so desperate to complete your mission that you would actually kill her after all."

_Kill her…? _Zero's right hand shook at the very thought.

"No, that's not what I had mind," Zero said. "I was thinking more along the lines of faking her death than actually killing her."

"How the hell do you intend to pull that off?" Aidou demanded.

"Simple…we cause a scene, right here, right now, and report it as a murder." Zero said. "I'll bet you anything there are day class girls skulking around the Moon Dorm as we speak. If they were to hear a couple of gunshots, then they'd surely stir up a scene."

"Then what?" Aidou sneered. "You confess to her murder?"

"No, you do," Zero replied.

"Me?" Aidou cried.

"Sure. You said you wanted him to come back. And who do you think Kaname will come running back to?" Zero questioned.

"The person who murders Yuki," Aidou realized, then blurted, "But that'll never work! You heard what Shiki just said! Kaname wouldn't be dumb enough to believe that I could actually kill her either!"

"We'll just see," Zero murmured and lifted the Bloody Rose.

"Zero! Don't!" Yuki cried as the first shot sounded. She grabbed Zero's left arm as Aidou fell to his knees as the bullet pierced his right shin.

"You bas—

The second shot drowned Aidou out in the precious moment that Zero took to fire it before Yuki managed to grab the handle of the Bloody Rose and managed to redirect its aim to ceiling. The bullet went directly into Aidou's shoulder.

"Let's get our story straight for when people start asking," Zero said coolly, as his fingers and Yuki's remained wrapped around the Bloody Rose, which was still pointed at the ceiling. "Aidou attacked Yuki with a knife. He pierced her heart. I attempted to take him out, but I was too late…"

Aidou, gasping and pain, gritted his teeth and look over to the table where the dirty dishes from their last meal still remained unattended to. Six knives lay scattered about as well. Aidou thought about how he'd passed by that table on his way to Yuki. Although he hadn't been contemplating murder in those moments, he still couldn't believe how close he'd come to having a true opportunity to kill Yuki Cross.

* * *

"It's my fault, Yuki," Zero insisted. "Please don't feel that you are the one to blame in any of this."

_Maybe I didn't have a direct hand in anything that happened yesterday, but…there's still so much that I'm to blame for…how could I have been so selfish? _

"Please don't cry," Zero whispered and wiped the tears from Yuki's eyes. "Kaname is coming back very soon…I promise."

Yuki looked up into Zero's and thought, _how _do_ you love someone so much without actually being in love with them? _

Zero spoke, "If you don't mind, I'd like to go lay down for a little while. I had a bit of a rough night."

"Right, of course," Yuki replied and stepped out of Zero's way so that he could make his way toward his bedroom. She felt a sharp pain in heart as she watched Zero enter his room.

The Headmaster spoke, "Well, I suppose all we do from here is wait for Kaname to show up."  
"Yeah," Yuki choked, wishing for nothing more than for Kaname to take the bait so she could finally put an end to all and save Zero. Perhaps the only thing she did wish for was for there to be another way.

_Kaname, you asked me to kill should I ever intend to abandon you. I promise, I will fulfill your final wish before I fulfill my final wish to save somebody that I caused so much pain. _

_ I won't cause you the same pain, Kaname. I won't ever abandon you, even if you have abandoned me. I won't abandon you even in death… _

* * *

"My Lord…"

"Yes…?"

"The Association is planning to lure you to Cross Academy by sending news of Lady Yuki's recent death."

"I take it Yuki is just fine, then?"

"Yes, of course…"

"Thank you. That helps me out considerably. I am so relieved to have you back… Serine."

"I will be forever loyal to you…Lord Kaname…"


	10. 99th Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

_A Pureblood cannot truly die until his heart stops beating. Even if the rest of his body is destroyed and turns to dust, so long as his heart still lives, he still lives._

_ And so even though Kaname's first love had her heart torn out of her chest 10,000 years ago, she didn't truly die until that night that the furnace exploded because the furnace kept her heart beating all that time…_

_ That's why I can't allow you to throw your heart into the Parent Furnace, Kaname. Your conscience is going to live on even then. And that's why I must kill you myself. I'm not going to leave you behind, Kaname. I'm not going to abandon you…_

_ Please come back so we can finally be together for all eternity…in a place where I will no longer selfishly thirst for Zero's blood…_

* * *

"Yuki, that was Aidou and he told me Kaname showed up at the hospital this morning," the Headmaster announced as he sat down to breakfast almost three days after the incident. Yuki and Zero had already started eating a few minutes before, but the Headmaster had to answer the phone before he could join then. "I suspect he'll be showing up here quite soon. Are you ready?"

"Of course," Yuki replied nonchalantly and she took a bite of food. It'd taken her all that time to get her emotions under control and she wasn't about to let herself lose that control.

Zero continued to chew silently, his unusually cheery expression suddenly turning to disdain.

* * *

"Oh, Zero…you're up! Did you have a nice nap?" Yuki asked as Zero emerged from his room and stepped into the living room and sat down on the couch next to her. Yuki had been reading a magazine to help her keep her mind off all that was going on.

"I guess it was alright," Zero sighed. He started eyeing the walls and the marks left by the picture frames that had left. He murmured, "You never put the photos back on the wall. Why?"

"Oh, that?" Yuki sputtered. "I guess I just haven't had a chance to get around to it, what with all that's being going on."

"You have time read a magazine but you don't have time to put the Headmaster's pictures back up?" Zero smirked.

"Look! I don't remember where they go, okay?" Yuki snapped. "So just stop bugging me about it already!"

Zero just laughed.

"What? Why are you laughing?" Yuki demanded. When Zero started to laugh even harder, Yuki found herself suppressing a smile. She felt normal, sitting around being taunted and teased by Zero, still drowsy from his afternoon nap. She felt sad, too, as she knew it wasn't going to last. Things were never going to go back to the way they used to be.

Zero sat staring contently at Yuki, causing her to blush. She could tell that the old feelings were forcing themselves even through Zero's lost memories. The depth of his love was incomprehensible to her. She realized, though, that she never forgot her love for Kaname, even after he erased her own memories. What was incomprehensible was how Zero could love her at all. Whether she was a Pureblood or a human, she only pushed his love away, as she had promised herself to Kaname, who was ultimately pushing her away just as she was pushing away Zero. They both knew clearly the pain of unreciprocated love.

_Can I even trust my feelings for Zero when I feel so sorry for him? _She thought, her face falling.

"Hey, cheer up," Zero said. "Aren't you happy that Kaname will be coming back soon?"

"Zero, have you ever been in love with two people at the same time?" Yuki found herself asking.

Zero turned away from her. "You can't allow yourself to think like that. You're just confused, Yuki. Your feelings for me aren't real."

"That's what I've been telling myself," Yuki confessed. "But the only reason I started feeling these things was because I knew you felt them too."

"I'm sorry. I should have never let this go so far," Zero said. "You're engaged to somebody else. And you're a Pureblood. It was irresponsible for me to let myself feel this way, let alone been so obvious about my feelings…We should have never gotten so comfortable around one another."

"Is that really so wrong?" Yuki wondered. "Can't we have important relationships in our lives that aren't romantic or between family members?"

"I might have said yes, if you hadn't just basically confessed to being in love with me," Zero stated.

"Don't have important people in your life besides me, though?" Yuki questioned.

"I cared very dearly for my brother, but I guess that's a family member," Zero answered. "I suppose my master's pretty important to me too, though."

"And Yori is very dear to me," Yuki said.

"Despite our capacities to love other people without actually falling in love with them, though, I don't think you and I are actually in love," Zero said. "That sort of thing just doesn't happen over the course of a couple of weeks."

"But, we've known each other more than just a couple of weeks!" Yuki blurted and then promptly cuffed her mouth shut.

Zero raised an eyebrow, but then he recalled the conversation they'd had with the Headmaster about then the night Rido attacked the academy. "Right…I suppose we acknowledge one another's existence in passing that night, but that was it, wasn't it?"

Yuki shook her head. She felt she could be honest without actually having to reveal everything to him and once. And so she confessed, "Zero…that night was the first time I ever realized I had feelings for you."

Zero's faced turned wry and confused. He asked, "Was it because I can running to your aid when you were on the roof with Kaname? …Did Kaname do something to you that night?"

"No…why would you ask that?" Yuki wondered.

"You seemed like you were in a coma…why?" Zero questioned.

"That was a very rough time in my life," Yuki said. "I was only out for a few minutes, but I brought that coma on myself."

"Okay," Zero replied without pressing for further details on Yuki's struggles. "At one point did you realize you had feelings for a complete stranger?"

_We were complete strangers, weren't we? That was night that Yuki Kuran, someone neither Zero no Yuki Cross knew, was born. So, although we'd known each for four years, we did, in essence, become strangers that night._

"Are you okay, Yuki?" Zero asked. "You're just staring off into space."

Yuki smile weakly and said, "Never mind, just forget it…"

"Yeah, I think we stop talking about this," Zero agreed. "It's pointless anyways."

* * *

"It's so quiet," Yuki murmured. Her and Zero had decided to take a walk around the campus ground as they had gone stir crazy. It had been over 24 hours since the Headmaster and Zero had been bailed out of prison and the first time Yuki had been outside since returning from the Moon Dorm.

It was almost dark.

"I imagine you're pretty used to it being nothing but chaotic, considering you've seen nothing but trouble in the small amount of time you've actually spent here," Zero replied. "Whether you can believe it or not, you didn't exactly miss much otherwise."

"So life's pretty boring around here, then?" Yuki wondered.

"Well, I suppose it had its moments when I was back on the disciplinary committee, but other than that, yes," Zero said.

"I heard you ran the disciplinary committee on your own, though," Yuki commented. "You must have had your hands full constantly with day class students trying to sneak into the Moon Dorm."

"My life's always been full of vampires and keeping their existence a secret, so that was nothing unusual," Zero claimed. "Keeping them in their place is all I really know."

"You must have a life outside your hunter duties, though," Yuki said. "And friend that you like to hang out with."

Zero didn't respond.

_I guess I never really thought about before, but Zero really didn't have any friends, did he? He always kept himself at a distance from everyone else. _

"You must feel so alone," Yuki whispered.

Zero still didn't respond, but he did consider her comment. He'd felt miserably lonely for quite some time, he had to admit. But, in his heart, he could remember a time where he hadn't felt that way. More days were a struggle than were happy, but he hadn't ever felt blatantly lonely up until…

_Up until the night that I killed Rido…_

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pried." Yuki said.

"There's something I've been wondering about," Zero said. "You told the Headmaster that you weren't afraid dirty your hands because you already dirtied them with Rido's blood. But, what you said the other day doesn't make any sense because you weren't anywhere near the battle between Rido and I."

Yuki had had a long time to consider the answer to that question. She had thought about it a lot, because she knew it was bound to come up sooner or later. Her answers came not with words, but with a cheap method to cover up her tracks.

"Hey, Zero, aren't you cold?" Yuki dodge the question. She walked up to Zero then and began to button up his coat. As she came up to his chest and fastened the last button, she purposefully, but with an air of timidly, began to seductively slid her hands up his collar bone and neck, until her hands were wrapped around his hand. She lifted herself up to her tiptoes then and reached her mouth to his. His closed his eyes then, confessing that he had become completely unguarded. She erased his memory of her saying that she had dirtied her hands with Rido's blood, but touched nothing else that wasn't directly related to that moment.

_I'll let you keep your memories about falling for me all over again because right now, more than ever, I need you to trust me. Kaname could come at any moment and if I'm to make you human, I need you trust me wholly and completely._

Zero leaned forward. Although she had intended to pull herself away, claiming that it wasn't right, Yuki still surrendered to the moment. Their lips touched softly at first. Zero wrapped his arms around Yuki and pulled her closer as he started to kiss her even more passionately. Yuki told herself to pull away all the while, but she could not deny her aching heart any longer. She pulled at the knot in Zero's tie, still peeking out from his coat, and then after she slipped it off, she tossed it on the ground.

Zero pulled away then and stared into Yuki's eyes. Her cheeks had turned a soft rosy pink, but her expression was solid. She nodded slightly and Zero leaned forward to kiss her once more. Yuki began to undo the buttons on Zero's coat as he slipped his fingers under her shirt at her hips.

* * *

Yuki and Zero wordlessly collected their clothes and then walked back to the Headmaster's House in silence.

* * *

"I'll wash and you dry, okay, Yuki?" Zero said as they cleaned up breakfast the day before Kaname's return.

"Sure," Yuki said as they two stepped into the kitchen, their arms full of dirty dishes.

Kaien just shook his head.

* * *

"Lord Kaname, you came!" Aidou exclaimed. He leapt out of his hospital bed to greet Kaname properly, but yelped in pain as his right foot hit the floor and put pressure on his shin.

"You need to be more careful," Kaname said. He approached Aidou and helped into his bed. When Aidou was situated, Kaname slapped him. "In more ways than one…"

"I'm sorry, Lord Kaname," Aidou sobbed. "I just didn't know how else to get your attention."

"Just be grateful you didn't kill Yuki after all because you would have gotten much worse than that," Kaname grunted. "And be grateful you didn't get worse than that because you deserve it for even threatening her in the first place."

"I'm sorry," Aidou whispered, "I am so sorry."

"I'm done with you now. I need to make a visit to the Headmaster's house." Kaname said and started making his way to the door. "Please do let him know that I'm coming. I don't want to barge in on him unannounced."

"Of course, Lord Kaname…"


	11. 100th Night: Ichiru Knows Everything

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"You wash, I'll dry…okay Yuki?" Zero said as breakfast came to a conclusion, with all the conversation exhausted and a not a crumb left. His tone was blissful and his entire demeanor had suddenly become carefree. It had been obvious to the Headmaster what had happened since the moment the two had come in the door from their walk, awkward and shamed faced, all in an attempt to keep it hidden. And while Zero had shed his shame and was currently floating on air, Yuki still remained awkward and nervous.

"Sure," Yuki replied to Zero's request and followed him into the kitchen with an armful of dishes. When they reached the sink, the each carefully placed the dishes inside the two basins. As turned the water on and squired some soap onto the sponge, Yuki went to collect a clean towel from one of the drawers. She naturally went to the right drawer immediately

This prompted Zero to comment, "You sure do know your way around here already. I'm impressed."

"Oh, I just wanted to be sure that I was earning my keep," Yuki replied as she stepped over to the sink, where Zero was holding up the first dish to have been scrubbed and rinsed and waiting to be dried. When Yuki made her way back over to the sink and grabbed the opposite of the plate that Zero held, Zero leaned over to kiss her. Yuki kissed him back, feeling like in was the most natural thing in the world. And she hated herself for it.

_Oh, come on, Zero, don't be so naïve…_

Zero pulled the dish away from Yuk and set it on the counter and the moved in to kiss her again.

_Please, not now, Ichiru. I know what the circumstances are. You don't need to point them out to me._

_ Then you know she's going to go running back to Kaname Kuran the moment he shows up at the Headmaster's door, right?_

_ …._

_ What? Did you honestly think you'd get to keep this girl…all because you let that purple haired aristocrat escape from spying on you all in the Moon Dorm?_

"What is it, Zero?" Yuki wondered. She had her hand on the back of Zero's neck. He had his hands on her hips. "Something's bothering you, isn't it?"

"I—

_Oh, don't go confessing and blubbering like an idiot when she's clearly lying to you too!_

_ What do you mean, Ichiru? What has Yuki lied about?_

"Zero, are you okay?" Yuki questioned. "Your face is all twisted and bunched up…"

_Well, I wasn't going to say anything before since I thought you were better off without this silly girl, but…you've noticed it, haven't you? The gaping holes in your memories…the white canvas, so to speak? Don't you have even the slightest inkling of what this girl did to you, Zero? _

_ What are you getting at, Ichiru? _

_ How lucky you are, Big Brother. Even though you continue to make yourself vulnerable to this girl, she can't actually touch me…_

_ Stop it, Ichiru! If you really had anything on Yuki, you'd stop beating around the bush and just spill it already!_

"Zero…Zero, snap out of it!" Yuki cried. "Do…do you need to drink my blood?"

The Headmaster burst through the kitchen doors, cheerily announcing that he'd brought the last of the dishes. Zero and Yuki promptly moved away from each other while the Headmaster made his way over to the already full sink.

"Oh my," he murmured. "Looks like you two could use a little help!"

Zero stormed out the door then. The Headmaster just shook his head and questioned, "Yuki, what's going on?"

"I don't know," Yuki insisted. "One second he was fine and the next he was staring off into space."

The Headmaster sighed, "Well, then, you'd better go talk to him. It's alright; I'll clean up in here…"

Yuki started toward the door then, but before she could leave, the Headmaster pleaded, "Please be careful, Yuki. I know you're young and are experiencing the excitement of love for the first time, but…if you don't figure out what it is you truly want, you're just going to wind up hurting yourself and everyone one else involved."

"I know what I truly want, Headmaster," Yuki insisted. "All of this is simply a means to ensure that I get it."

"Please don't hurt him, Yuki. He's already suffered enough," The Headmaster stated.

"Don't worry, Headmaster. I have every intention of relieving his suffering," Yuki said and then coolly walked out the kitchen door. She made her way to Zero's room then. His door was shut, but she decided to just let herself in.

Yuki leaned against the door once it was closed again, as she eyed Zero, who was sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Please to talk to me," Yuki pleaded. "Why did you suddenly just freak out like that in the kitchen?"

Zero said nothing. He just stared at Yuki.

"It's because I'm a Pureblood, isn't it?" Yuki questioned. "Or is it because I belong to someone else?"

"No, it's not!" Zero blurted. "I knew about those things before I ever dreamed of getting involved with you."

"Then what is it?" Yuki wondered. She walked towards him then and placed her hands on his shoulders. He laid his forehead on her stomach.

"Do you know about the curse of the Hunter twins?" Zero asked.

"I know it's extremely rare for vampire hunters to have twins," Yuki stated. "Sure, I know about all of that. And I know that you have a twin…or, at least you did."

"Yes, I did," Zero replied. "He died because I devoured his life one year ago because he begged me to make us whole again…and when I did, his conscience didn't die, but instead attached to mine…"

_Ichiru's mind…attached to Zero's? _The realization made Yuki's chest grow heavy, as she knew Ichiru would do anything in his power to severe her relationship with Zero and thus ruin her plans to make him human again.

Zero pulled his head away from Yuki and turned it upright so he could look at her. His eyes were sad.

"I know it sounds crazy." he murmured.

"I believe you," Yuki said. "But what does your brother have to do with what was happening in the kitchen?" She asked, despite already having an inkling and fearing the worst.

"He was taunting me," Zero stated. "He kept calling you a liar, but he didn't say much else."

_So…Ichiru does realize what's happened. Even though I wiped Zero's memories, Ichiru's remained unaffected. _Yuki confirmed.

"I don't know what he thinks he knows, but I know that he was involved with the Senate, so I can see how he _could_ know something," Zero explained, turning his head down once again. "And I don't know if there's any future for us, Yuki, or what we're even doing. Even still, if there's you've been hiding from me, then, please, just tell me."

Yuki jerked her hands away. Her mind raced between coming up with a good lie and just telling the truth. All she knew was that she didn't want to hurt Zero anymore. And she knew that either scenario would play out just like that.

"I can't," Yuki whispered. "I'm so sorry, but I just can't."

Seeing the tears in her eyes Zero reached out his arms and pulled Yuki close to him. He whispered back, "It's okay, Yuki. Just please don't cry anymore."

Yuki choked, "I just want you to know that every deceitful thing I do is to help you."

"You don't have to protect me," Zero insisted. "You don't to worry about me falling to a Level E or even feel sad about it."

"But I do have!" Yuki exclaimed, jerking herself out of Zero's arms. She looked him in the eye and then and then cried, "I have to because I love you!"

"Yuki…" Zero murmured. "I…I…"

Zero could barely process the happiness swelling up inside of him. He just couldn't comprehend how he'd fallen in love with some in just a few days' time. He just couldn't comprehend how he'd fallen in love with a Pureblood vampire.

"Okay, so what do we do?" Zero wondered. "Do you intend to just run away together?"

Maybe they could have done that in another life. Maybe if they'd both been human, being together would have been the most natural and simple thing in the world.

But, if they hadn't been vampires, then they would never have even met…And Yuki would never have been born because her parents would not have given into the desires of beasts…

_But…all that aside…what would it have been really like…? _

* * *

"Juri, I'm so happy you've decided to enroll your sweet, little Yuki into Cross Academy," Kaien exclaimed as he severed tea to his old friend. They'd lost touch in the past few years, but had finally reconnected when Yuki became old enough to start high school.

"Yes, well, Kaname's been so happy here that it only seemed natural," Juri replied.

"Yes, I have been quite content," Kaname chimed in. He sat between Yuki and Juri on the Headmaster's sofa. He gave his little sister a soft nudge then and said, "Yuki, why don't you say hello?"

Yuki nodded and said softly, "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Cross."

"Yes, likewise," Kaien replied. "It's so wonderful to see you're growing into such a fine young woman."

Juri spoke, "I'm sure we'll be fine with filling out all her enrollment paperwork, assuming nothing much has changed since Kaname applied."

"It's the same as it's always been," Kaien stated.

"So, Kaien what have you been up to?" Juri wondered. "Kaname tells me you took in a foster child some time ago."

"Yes, Zero's his name," Kaien said. "His parents were both part of a special police and were killed in the line of duty. His only other family member, a twin brother, died a few months before his parents. He was very sickly, you see."

"Oh, that's so awful!" Juri exclaimed.

"Yes. And the poor thing has crawled into a shell and won't come out." Kaien sighed. "You know what? I should bring him out here to meet you all. I'll just go and get him from his room…"

Kaien stood up and made his way down the hall…

* * *

"What are you thinking about, Yuki?" Zero asked.

"I guess…I guess I was just thinking about what things would have been like if you and I had been humans in a world where vampires didn't even exist." Yuki said. "Do you think we would have ever even met?"

"I don't know," Zero said. "It's doubtful."

"You don't think the universe created vampires just to ensure that you and I would meet, do you?" Yuki wondered, half joking, but still half serious.

"Are you searching for some sort of sign from the cosmos to tell you what path to choose?" Zero questioned. He often found her questions silly and irritating, yet somehow it was okay if Yuki was the one to ask them.

"I've already chosen my path," Yuki stated firmly. "Even if the universe is against me, I still intend to resist it with all I am."

_Maybe the universe did bring us together. But even if it did, it made a mistake. Zero, you really are better off without me._

_ You see, Zero? I told you she'd just go running back to Kaname…_

"I only want what you want," Zero insisted. "I only want what you want because…I love you too, Yuki."

He placed his hands on face and kissed her.

_Don't ignore me, Zero!_

_ Please, Ichiru. Just let me be happy…even if it is only just for a few moments._

_ ….. _

_ Fine, Zero, but just know this: The clock is ticking on your wake-up call! _


	12. 101st Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

"That will be him," Kaien spoke upon hearing a knock on the door. "Shall we all go greet him?"

"Actually, Headmaster, if you wouldn't mind," Yuki said as she stood up.

The Headmaster thought it over for a moment and then replied, "Alright, go ahead then."

Yuki excused herself and then stepped outside. And there she finally found the one she been searching for so long. She looked up at Kaname with a blank expression. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but given the current situation, she felt she had lost all right to even stand next to him.

"Yuki, I'm relieved you're alright," Kaname broke the ice. "I already knew about the Association's plan before I came here, but I want you to know that if anything had truly happened to you…"

Kaname leaned in close to Yuki and opened his mouth to pierce her with his fangs. Yuki pushed him away and said, "Can we please not do this now?"

"Why not?" Kaname asked. "Is it because you don't want me to find out about what a bad girl you've been?"

Yuki gasped, "You mean, you already know…about me and Zero?"

"Come on, Yuki, it's written all over your face," Kaname sighed. "I can't say I shouldn't have expected as much, though. I left the two alone for such a long time after all."

"I take that you already know that I erased his memories as well," Yuki said, "Since you seem to know everything else already."

"Actually I didn't know about that," Kaname said, "but if it was honestly that bad, then I suppose I don't have anything to worry about after all, now do I?"

"That's not what I meant, Kaname," Yuki blushed.

"I know," Kaname replied, "And I'm sorry. That was a very cruel joke."

"You're acting so calm," Yuki stated, "Why can't you ever just admit when you're angry with me?"

"Because that's a side of me that I'd rather you not see, Yuki," Kaname said. "I don't want to take the risk of losing you."

"I…betrayed you and you still want to be with me?" Yuki questioned.

"I want to strangle Zero with my bare hands," Kaname admitted, "but I think I will eventually get over it and forgive you."

"And what will you do until then?" Yuki wondered.

Kaname pulled Yuki into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I will hold you just like this, just like I always do…"

Yuki started crying again. "Kaname, why did you just leave like this? Why did you disappear and not even bother to say goodbye?"

"Because I didn't want you caught in the middle of this mess," Kaname said, "It's that simple."

"You think I can't handle anything, don't you?" Yuki sobbed. "That's why keep me locked up in the big, dark house, all day long…"

"It's only dark because you hate the light so much," Kaname stated.

"But don't you realize that for as much as it hurts to be in the light, it hurts a million times worse to be in the dark," Yuki said.

"Yes, I do," Kaname replied.

Yuki pulled away then and asked, "What do you intend to do now, Kaname? Do you intend to throw your heart into the Parent Furnace so that you carry on the legacy of the woman you love?"

"The only way I could do that would be for you to bear my child," Kaname claimed.

"Please don't dodge the question," Yuki pleaded.

Kaname sighed and said, "For the last 17 years I have made it my life's mission to protect you at all costs. If that means killing off all vampires one by one or throwing my heart into the furnace so that the weapons that keep you safe from other vampires are restored, then so be it."

"But is that really necessary?" Yuki demanded. "We still have Artemis and the Bloody Rose after all."

Kaname's eyes grew very sad. "Just listen to you trying to talk me out of sacrificing myself when I understand you have every intention of sacrificing yourself as well."

Yuki looked down at the ground. Kaname's ability to read her mind and know her intentions without gobbling up even a single drop of her blood made her heart race. He knew her so well and to a point that made her completely terrified. She spoke, "You are the one that is ultimately responsible for what happened to Zero. He deserves to have his life his back. And I think you and I at least owe him that much."

"If you really feel that strongly, than why haven't you done it yet? You've have an ample amount of opportunities after all," Kaname stated. Yuki refused to look up. Kaname took her in his arms again and said, "I'm glad you've chosen you keep your promise to me above your duty to him.

"I still love you, Kaname," Yuki said.

"And I love you," Kaname said.

"So what happens next?" Yuki wondered.

"I was hoping that we could stay just like this…just for a little while," Kaname replied.

"Okay…" Yuki whispered.

* * *

After several minutes of a long painful silence, the Headmaster finally said, "Believe it or not, Zero, I understand what you're going through. I know what it's like to be in love with someone you can't have…And I know what it's like to be an angry hunter who's in love with a Pureblood vampire…"

His last comment actually managed to capture Zero's attention. Zero sputtered, "Headmaster, you were…involved with a Pureblood vampire?"

"Yes," The Headmaster confirmed. "It was brief and it was careless on both ends, but even now I would never deny my feelings for her to myself. Even though I've been alone for so long and been without her, I still love her."

At first Zero took the comment as he was going to have to live with loneliness and live with the fact that he'd practically torn his own heart out until the day he would finally slip into the shadows of complete insanity and slowly fade away. Then, though, he began to closely examine the Headmaster's expression and determined that he had made peace with his feelings. His body did not shake and his voice did not crack. It seemed he'd merely accepted and embraced his feelings rather than letting them tear him apart.

_Could you ever actually hope to live like that or to think like that, Zero, when you, like me, have done nothing but wallow in your own self-pity and anger for the past five years? _

"Of course, I wasn't always this accepting of my feelings," the Headmaster murmured. "Not long after we became involved, I became so ashamed that I lost control of myself. When I saw her on the street one day, I took my weapon without thinking and almost slayed an innocent life all because I was angry with myself. She proved far stronger than I, though, and managed to knock me flat on my back."

"Headmaster…how could you have…possibly come back from a low like that and suddenly turn around and become a completely different man?" Zero demanded. "Don't tell me that you were so naïve that you let that small glimpse of humanity in that blood thirsty beast let you believe that those animals are truly human at their cores!"

_Are lecturing yourself there, Zero? _

The Headmaster replied, "No, I am honestly not that naïve."

"Then why did you suddenly become so forgiving and accepting of them?" Zero asked.

The Headmaster stayed silent for a few moments. Then, he suddenly sighed deeply and confessed, "Zero, I've never told anybody this and I don't know if _she _ever told anybody, or how she managed to save her marriage even after she made the greatest mistake, but—

He paused upon hearing the sound of the front door opening and closing. He had to turn around in his chair, as he was sitting away from the entrance to the dining room, as the sound of footsteps approached them. Kaname and Yuki stood in the entrance only moments later.

"Mr. Association President," Kaname spoke, "There's something I'd to speak with you about in private."

"Of course," the Headmaster replied. "Shall we step outside?"

He stood up and he and Kaname left the room. Once they were outside, Kaname suddenly jumped him and pinned him to the ground. Kaname stood back up afterwards and watched as the Headmaster writhed in pain. After a few minutes, though, the Headmaster managed to push through the initial shock and pull himself back up a little bit.

"I'm sorry about that Mr. President, but I simply couldn't let you interfere." Kaname explained.

"Interfere with what?" The Headmaster gasped. He still sat on the ground, holding his chest.

"Because, as we speak," Kaname said, "Yuki is turning Zero back into a human…"

* * *

Zero, still sitting at the table, stared at Yuki. Yuki stared back. Their faces were expressionless as they tried to hide their emotions from one another.

Yuki announced, "It's been decided. Kaname will offer his heart to the furnace and become the next Parent."

Zero's eyes grew large as he started to gasp, "Then you and I can—

But Yuki wasn't finished. "And he has giving me his blessing to fulfill my final wish of correcting one of his many mistakes."

"Your…final wish?" Zero murmured. "You make it sound almost morbid, Yuki."

"Zero, would you come over here, please?" Yuki choked. Zero nodded and made his way over to Yuki. Yuki wrapped her arms around Zero and whispered, "I love you," and she called fourth her ultimate power from the deepest part of her being. She could feel the energy following through her body as she tried to muster the necessary strength. Her veins began to bulge as her skin turned red as she exerted every fiber of her being. Her ankles grew weak and she stumbled, causing Zero to swiftly grab her.

"What are you doing?" Zero demanded.

As Yuki stood panting, sweating, and dizzy in his arms, she muttered, "I don't understand why this is so hard for me…"

"Then just stop trying, whatever it is, just stop!" Zero snapped.

"But…I have to make you human again," Yuki choked as the tears started to fall. "If you became human again, then all your pain will go away and…"

"A vampire can become human?" Zero whispered.

"Yes. It's a power only Purebloods have and it will ultimately cost them their life, but yes…vampires can become hu—

She lost conscious just then. Sighing, Zero swopped her up in his arms and carried her into the living-room. He laid her down on the couch. She stirred as he maneuvered his arms out from underneath her.

"Are you okay?" Zero asked.

"The light shining on us through the dining-room window…that must have been why I couldn't do it…" Yuki considered.

"Please don't do that again," Zero scolded. "I don't want you sacrificing yourself for me. If you think that making me human again would make my pain go away, you're wrong. Losing you would cause me more pain than even I could imagine."

"Zero," Yuki murmured as he kissed her. She only returned the kiss lightly, as she was still feeling weak and woozy. "What am I supposed to do when you die? You don't have a chance of living as long as I will."

_For once something the girl says actually makes sense! You've dealt with her being a Pureblood. You've even dealt with her being promised to someone else. So, tell me, Big Brother, how are you going to live the fact that you're going to wind up just leaving her behind in what will be like the blink of an eye to her? I can just imagine her face at your funeral…can't you? _

"I guess," Zero spoke. His voice was hoarse as he was trying to keep himself from crying. "I guess we just enjoy what little time we actually have and then you…go on and find somebody new. Somebody like who is like you and will live forever."

_How selfish you are, Zero. You should just let her go now and save her the expense of having to grieve for you. _

_ Ichiru, this is something you couldn't possibly understand. I can't stop Yuki from crying, even if I stand up right now, walk out that door, and never see her again. And I think that won't hurt her more than her having to watch me die. _

_ I couldn't possibly understand? You talk as though you think I've never been in love._

_ Shizuka was just using you. She used you to get to our parents and then from there she only treated you like a toy._

_ And hasn't this girl done much the same to you? Hasn't she been doing nothing but stringing you along, using you to what she really wants, and also using you to fulfill her own sick desires. _

_ …_

_ Who would have thought you and I would have the same type? Insanely abusive, but claiming they care about us until their very last breath! _

_ Yuki is nothing like Shizuka. _

_ Give a few hundred years and we will just see what the next human boy she decides to toy with will have to say. You think, no you desperately hope for her to happy until the end of time, but they all crack eventually, Zero._

_ Then maybe I'll just have to make her human instead…_


	13. 102nd Night: The Final Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight or any characters

Kaname spoke, "As we speak, Yuki is turning Zero into a human. So, why don't you just cooperate and give them a little space? Or if you prefer, I continue to beat you black and blue. It's entirely your choice."

"It doesn't make a difference either way," Kaien grunted, "Whether I cooperate or not, Yuki turning Zero is never going to happen."

Kaname's eyebrows rose. "And why's that? Do you think she doesn't have the will to die?"

"Yuki would die for you or for Zero in a heartbeat," Kaien insisted.

"So then what are you getting at, Kaien Cross?" Kaname asked.

"Yuki doesn't have the ability…no, the necessary powers to do anything like that," Kaien claimed.

"Of course she does. It's an innate Pureblood power," Kaname stated.

"Right," Kaien agreed. "The only problem is Yuki is not a Pureblood."

"What are talking about?" Kaname demanded. "Yuki has the blood of Kuran flowing through her! I can taste it, feel it, every single time I drink her blood!"

"Yes. It's undeniable that Yuki is a realm far above even a vampire aristocrat, even being only half Kuran. But even so, because she is only half Kuran, she is not a true Pureblood." Kaien said.

"What do mean, she's only half Kuran?" Kaname demanded. He grabbed the collar of Kaien's shirt and jerked him back to his feet. "That's impossible!"

"The moment Juri told me that she had a child inside her that she had to protect, my whole world changed," Kaien said. "I, an infamous vampire hunter, was going to be the father of the very thing that I hated the most…"

"Wait…what?" Kaname whispered as he released his grip. "You're…Yuki's biological father?"

"Initially, I wasn't sure. But, Juri confirmed it," Kaien said. "And that was when my heart melted and began to show compassion toward vampires rather than desiring to just eliminate them one by one."

"I see," Kaname murmured. "That's also why you were always so desperate to gain her acceptance of you as her father…because you really are her father."

"Yes," Kaien nodded. "And by now, Yuki's surely passed out on the couch because she over exerted herself. Shall we go check on her?"

"Don't you ever intend to tell her?" Kaname questioned. "Why didn't you just tell her—and me—on the night I brought her to you? She wouldn't have spent the next ten years wondering about what happened to her parents!"

"Why didn't _you _just tell her, Kaname?" Kaien demanded.

"Because I didn't want her future to be as bloody as her past!" Kaname insisted.

"Exactly," Kaien said. "If I had told Yuki I was her real father, then I would have had to explain what happened to her mother. We agreed that we would keep her past a secret from her. And that unfortunately involved both us keeping who we really were from her."

"And now? Do you intend to tell her now?" Kaname wondered.

"She is going to expect some explanation for why she couldn't make Zero human," Kaien said. "I suppose it doesn't really matter anymore. She already knows everything after all."

"She's going to be furious with you, though," Kaname pointed out. "And I take it that's why you kept it hidden…until even now?"

"Let's go inside," Kaien pleaded and opened the door to let Kaname in.

* * *

And so I finally learned the truth about who I really was. My father, a vampire hunter became captivated by a strange and happy Pureblood. And my mother, if I'm anything like her, felt obligated to help someone who she saw was in dire need. She simply took things too far. It only happened once, but once was enough. And the first child ever to be born half hunter and half Pureblood came into being…

_I can see it now, Yuki. I can finally taste it in your blood. You really are what the Association President claims. It makes perfect sense, though. How else would you be able to wield Artemis? _

It took some time to dig through the rubble that used to be the Association's headquarters to reach the Parent Furnace. During that time, my hair grew back to my shoulders and even though I was still a vampire, I started to finally recognize myself in the mirror again. Kaname and I kept our relationship platonic during that time as he still planned to throw his heart into the Furnace and restore the vampire weapons. I kept things platonic between Zero and I during that time out of respect for Kaname. It would have been too much, considering how closely the three of us were working together.

The Headmaster was also tried and convicted of endangering his students some weeks after he finally told me the truth about what happened between him and my mother. He was sentence to 20 years in prison for his crime. He planned to fake his death again within five years, however, to avoid his own secret getting out. Mr. Yaguri took on the duties of Association President after the trial.

Vampires and vampire hunters still remain a mystery to the world at large.

Aidou promptly returned to Kaname's side, who offered little explanation for why he'd killed his father. He was just another threat that needed to be dealt with, it seemed.

I told Zero I erased his memories and I told him all about our life growing up together. I even let him drink my blood to let him see those memories, but as the Headmaster said, seeing them wasn't the same as actually remembering. He still struggles with it to this day.

A year a half went by. The Association and the Parent Furnace were finally rebuilt. The last night Kaname I ever spent together, he finally revealed to me what he had really been doing during all that time he'd been sneaking around and then ultimately vanished.

"I wanted to make you human again," Kaname told me. "While at first I thought we'd finally be able to be together, I soon realized that your connection to Zero and my connection to Haruhi were always going to keep us apart."

"Haruhi…so that was her name," I murmured.

"I could see how you longed for both mine and Zero's blood and all I wanted was to take that pain away from you," Kaname said.

"So why didn't you just do it?" I wondered. "What were you waiting for?"

"I knew the Parent Furnace was about to erupt. I am still connected to Haruhi and she was the one who called me back here…the first time anyways when she ultimately wound up swallowing all the vampire weapons. She just couldn't take it any longer." Kaname explained. "I told her I'd take her place, but I pleaded for her to hold on for just a little bit longer. I told her I needed to find a way to make you human again and still be able to become the new Parent. She erupted before I could find the answer."

"Did you ever actually find it?" I wondered.

"Yes…" He said softly.

He told me that he only pulled out half his heart and throw into the furnace, that he'd still have the other half to be able to use the last of his strength to make me human again.

"The new weapons won't be nearly as powerful of course, but…that's the decision I've made…"

I told him that I had already accepted his decision sometime before. I told him that only having half his heart was better than not having it all…

"That's exactly how I felt when I realized that you were in love with Zero too…"

Except I still hadn't let go of my desire to make Zero human again. And so I asked Kaname to offer his life to him instead.

"I couldn't live myself if I became human again and just left him hanging," I said.

"You do realize he would feel much the same way, don't you?" Kaname pointed out.

"Yes…but his existence is far more difficult than my own. He needs it more than I do." I insisted.

Kaname agreed, buts said we were going to have to be discreet about it. He would do everything within his power to corner Zero and make him human again…if I did everything in my power to bring him to Kaname.

"He's going to hate you for this. Are you going to able to live with that?" Kaname wondered.

"Yes," I replied.

Kaname kissed me for the final time that night. It was a soft and sad goodbye kiss. It wasn't even passionate…

I thought a lot about Aidou said about the capacity to love someone without actually being in love with them. And I thought long hard about what it actually meant to be in love with somebody. I took a long hard look at my relationships with both Kaname and Zero. I realized I really was in love with them both. And I accepted that the reasons weren't selfish or forced. They came about as a result of bonds that couldn't blossom into anything but romantic love. Even if both Kaname and Zero were both my brothers in their own ways, we were all just beasts in love. It happened. And I decided after that year and a half that I was finally okay with that.

* * *

"Alright, it's ready," Yaguri grunted as he opened the furnace door. The flames inside we weak, but all those around knew the firing would soon be blazing. "Anybody who doesn't want to bear witness to this gruesome scene better leave now."

No one budge even an inch.

And Kaname did just what he said he was going to do. On that day, 12 and a half years after I was attacked by my own uncle and 6 and half years after Zero's life had changed forever…all of our lives changed forever once again.

And that the was last night of the Vampire Knight. All that followed Zero from there was nothing but bright, sunny days.

_I'll always be with you, Yuki, _Kaname's voice boomed from deep inside my heart as I watched his become engulfed by flames.

_And this sweet dream finally comes to an end…_

* * *

A/N: Coming soon, the sequel to _Vampire Knight: The Alternative Ending_!

_Hunter Knights _will follow Hunter twins Kaname and Ichiru Kiryuu as they protect the world from bad vampires…and any their adorable little sister, Juri, from pre-teen boys!


End file.
